The Captain's Woman
by Lessa Soong
Summary: Data is finally a captain, but is having trouble getting his "Captain's feet" This is the final version
1. Default Chapter

THE CAPTAIN'S WOMAN  
  
By  
  
Kelestra Dark  
  
KelestraDark@Yahoo.com  
Star Trek is the property of Paramount Pictures. This story belongs to me, just the story. Please, do not use in whole or in part without permission. Thanks.  
  
This story takes place about 12 years after Insurrection, but of course, Data survives the day at the end of Nemesis. I began this one before Nemesis came out or before I knew that they would kill him off in it, so...  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The ship was the same, but since all of the command crew had been reassigned to different ships following the retirement of their captain, Mortai, it had a different feel about it. Dr. Teagan Shayza had only been aboard the Repulse for four of the eight years that Mortai had commanded, but she had made a place for herself here. It was a relief to find that she was not one of those reassigned.  
  
The Repulse had been in dry-dock at Utopia Planitia undergoing a major refit for three weeks now and she had just been informed that her Bio- Chemistry lab was now as up to date as they could make it. Teagan beamed over and inspected the damage. Well, perhaps the word 'damage' would be too strong, but she liked things to be a particular way and anything apart from that she considered unacceptable. Yes, as she expected it was a mess, but she was sure she could put the lab back to the way she liked it in just a few days. The Repulse was due to leave dry-docking in two days and the newly promoted Captain Data was to be here this afternoon to officially take command.  
  
"Can't have our new captain thinking we run a messy ship," she thought as she called her people to work and began the tedious job of reorganizing her office. Five hours, a lot of sweat, and a shower later, Teagan entered lounge, noted the changes that had been made even here and took one of the tables to have a bit of lunch. Lauralee Apple collapsed into one of the other chairs and smiled tiredly at her supervisor and best friend of nine years.  
  
"You're a slave driver, Doc. You may not believe this, but the work does not have to be done yesterday!" Lauralee was a willowy blond with a long slim and shapely body that always made Teagan feel insignificant by comparison. If it were not for her flaming red hair, Teagan doubted she would ever be noticed when the two were in the same room. All of 5'4", the doctor of bio-chemistry was also slim and had a neat hour-glass figure, but she still felt she paled when compared to Lauralee, but the blond never seemed to notice.  
  
"I know, but they made a mess of the place and I want it in shape before we get a visit from our new captain," Teagan defended.  
  
Lt. Apple sat up straight and scanned the room. "Speaking of, is he here yet? Have you seen him?"  
  
"No, I know he's supposed to be here soon, but I have not heard anything but that it was to be sometime this afternoon."  
  
"Well, its 1143 now and-" Lauralee stopped talking as the doors to the lounge opened and their new captain walked into the room.  
  
"And he's early," Teagan finished for her. He's cuter that I thought he'd be, she thought to herself. He walked with a confidence and certainty that she found strangely appealing. As the whole room watched, the captain spied the party of senior officers at a far table and crossed to join them, his movements cool and exact. A tap on her hand brought her out of her fog.  
  
"I'm sure his first stop is not going to be our lab, Doc," Lauralee told her, assuming that her superior officer was now worried about the disheveled state of their home away from home. Teagan turned her attention back to her friend, trying to remove the stunned expression from her features. "Oh, my god, you're not worried about him showing up, you're hoping he does. Doc, smitten so soon? You shock me. I thought you'd sworn off men."  
  
Teagan looked indignant. "I have done no such thing and you have been badgering me to start seeing Lt. Rosen for months now, so I know you don't really believe that either.  
  
"Well, Rosen was transferred, so you slipped out of that one too. So, am I right and you find our new center seat holder interesting?" Lauralee asked, her eyebrows raised with interest.  
  
"Are you ever going to find someone else to torture with your nosiness? And keep your voice down, He is an android and has very good hearing." Teagan hissed under her breath. Lauralee just laughed.  
  
"I'll stop teasing when you stop being such a good target."  
  
Teagan slumped in her chair momentarily before leaning forward again and coming close to her tablemate's ear. "You know, I don't see a ring on any of your fingers, so why are you so determined to see one on mine."  
  
Lauralee just laughed again. "'Cus it's so much fun. But seriously, I think the captain is out of both of our leagues." Teagan nodded at this as she looked over at the dark haired figure now seated in the back of the room.  
  
"True, but a girl can dream can't she?"  
In the lab, progress was made in the hours ahead, but only Teagan seemed to have the energy to return to the lounge for dinner, instead of retiring to quarters as the rest of her staff had done. She took the last empty table and waited to place her order. Seconds after the attendant had taken her request; the captain entered the room. Noting quickly that all of the tables were taken and with a brief look of uncertainty, she saw him turn to leave. Not knowing quite what possessed her to do so, Teagan jumped to her feet and called to him.  
  
"Captain Data," turning back, he came to her table with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Yes, Dr. Shayza?" his voice was not as deep as she had expected, but still pleasant. Wait, how did he know her name? Of course, he had studied all of the files on the ship's regular compliment and had hand picked the rest, he knew the names, faces and records of everyone on the ship.his ship.  
  
"Were you to meet someone here, sir?" she asked.  
  
"No, I simply wanted to have a light dinner with my crew before returning to Utopia Planitia. There are no free tables so I will forgo dinner-"  
  
"Or you could join me. My staff abandoned me and left me to eat alone, so there is room. Unless you are more interested in returning to U.P." He gave a short shake of his head and smiled.  
  
"Thank you, Doctor. I would be pleased to join you." He pulled out the chair across from her and seated himself. Wisely, the attendant was at his side as though he had been beamed over and took the captain's order almost before his back touched the chair.  
  
"May I ask why you say that your staff abandoned you?" he asked once the attendant had left. Teagan grinned.  
  
"I would hazard to guess that they believed that if they came with me instead of retreating to their respective quarters, that I may have tried to convince them to return to work once we were through. I have been accused of being a slave driver more than once today," she admitted. He looked puzzled again.  
  
"What are you and your staff working on?" he asked. She chuckled.  
  
"Rebuilding my lab," she answered hesitantly.  
  
"I was under the impression that it had been the job of the Utopia Planitia staff to complete that task," he stated, but the question was clear in his voice.  
  
"Their idea of order and mine are very far apart, sir. Nothing was the way I wanted it, and I intend to rectify that situation as quickly as possible."  
  
"I see. When do you believe that your lab will meet with your approval, Doctor?"  
  
"In two more days, sir. I was told that you will be taking a tour of all of the departments before we leave dry-dock, but-" the captain held up a hand and smiled.  
  
"If you inform me as to when your department is in the order you are looking for, Doctor, I will delay my inspection of your area until that time. I do not wish to start our tour on the wrong foot with any of my department heads," he told her reassuringly.  
  
Grinning, she said, "I thought we department heads were supposed to be the ones worried about what foot we were on?" once the words were out of her mouth, she thought they sounded too casual, but the captain did not seem to be offended.  
  
"As long as it is not my foot they are on, I see no reason for anyone to be worried," after a beat he grinned and she grinned too. "Not that it would hurt me if they did stand on my foot, but it would not be showing the proper respect of a commanding officer," he added, looking very much like he was thinking out loud. The image of someone standing on Captain Data's foot struck Teagan as very funny and she began to snicker. She covered her mouth quickly, but he had seen and heard. After a moment, he chuckled too.  
  
"You are not at all what I would have expected, Captain," she noted that the butterflies that had appeared in her stomach about the time that he had entered the room were disappearing. Their meals arrived and there was silence for a moment as they both tasted the items that had been placed before them.  
  
Over his plate, the new captain of the Repulse studied his head of the Bio- Chemistry department. He knew she was thirty-one years of age, but she did not appear to be over twenty-one. Her fiery red hair fell past her shoulders and curled slightly at the ends, but her bright golden eyes were much more intriguing to him. His own yellow eyes had often caused questions quicker then his skin colour and the gold of hers caused him to wonder about her origins. She was listed as human and as the sole survivor of an air car crash that had left her orphaned at the age of 14. Her home planet was listed as Plecx, a planet that spun on the outer edge of Federation space. Oddly, most of the inhabitants of that world were not even humanoid.  
  
Her record was exemplary, through out her two years in StarFleet Academy and her years studying her chosen craft. Her service record under Captain Mortai was just as spotless and her previous commanding officer had obviously thought well of her by the notes he had left in her record, but had hinted that she had an enigmatic side. On the other side of the table from her, Captain Data wondered about that side of his dinner companion.  
  
"When they are not hiding from you, do you get along with most of your staff, Doctor?" he asking, breaking the silence between them. She flushed slightly.  
  
"I get along will with all of my staff, they just believe I am slightly too single minded about certain things. Besides being called a taskmaster more times that I would have liked today, I have no complaints. Why? Were you planning on making some changes to my staff, Captain?" He shook his head.  
  
"Not at present. If there are any changes to be made, I believe that will become apparent by our first scheduled crew rotation in three months time. Do you not agree?"  
  
"I'm sure they will, but you will inform me before you rotate any one of my staff off the ship, won't you....Captain?" Her tone had changed to include a bit of an edge to it and her "Captain" had been delayed a beat, causing him to suspect that she would have a few things to say if he decided to make any changes in her area without her agreement. With the best sly grin he knew how to deliver, he nodded.  
  
"I will be sure to inform you before I have anyone beamed out, Doctor." This statement produced the desired effect and her eyes widened momentarily. It took her only a second to recover, but her eyes seemed to reflect a bit more fire when she spoke again.  
  
"I would be most appreciative of being warned before hand, Captain, and would I still be able to have a hand in picking any replacements, should the need arise?"  
  
"Certainly, Doctor. I would value your input," he said evenly. She sighed. Time to lighten the conversation, he decided.  
  
"May I ask you a question, Doctor," at her nod, he continued. "Why did you invite me to join you this evening?" she looked up from her plate and faced him with a stunned expression flashing across her face.  
  
"I...you don't think it was inappropriate for me to..."  
  
"No, not inappropriate, it is just that I have not been enthusiastically received by much of the crew and I sense no such hesitation from you." For a brief moment, it seemed as though some colour rose to her cheeks, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.  
  
"You do have a distinct disadvantage in replacing a well liked captain instead of having an all new crew for your first posting as commanding officer." He noted that this was not truly an answer to his question.  
  
"I could have had command of the U.S.S. Lakota when it was to be commissioned in three months, but the Repulse needed a new captain now and I saw no reason to wait," he told her. She considered this.  
  
"I heard that you requested that chief engineer, Lt. Commander Edwards retain his posting here if he choose. You made quite an impression on him with that decision, Captain."  
  
He smiled, "It had been my experience that engineers prefer to stay with what they consider their own engines." She grinned and nodded.  
  
"I think you're right. He was very happy at the news that he was staying."  
  
He returned her smile, tipped his head to the side, and gave her his distinctive amused "humph." "Perhaps that will make my meeting with him in the morning less uncomfortable." Looking more intensely into her eyes, he occurred to him that perhaps this was not something he should be discussing with just anyone. "Forgive me, Doctor, I should not be burdening you with this. It would be better if I spoke to the ship's counselor regarding my difficulties in assimilating with my new crew."  
  
She leaned back in her chair and studied his face. "That's going to be rather difficult since our new counselor does not arrive until tomorrow, a fact I would bet my entire staff that you are perfectly well aware of, Captain." Data smiled and confirmed her assumption. "You need not worry, sir. I have no intention of saying a word about any of what is said here to anyone. Besides, as our counselor is going to be new as well, he is going to be facing some of the same difficulties as you are. He will not be able to tell you that if you take note of how high above spec our chief engineer keeps his warp field, you will be in like Flint. Or if you compliment the Astro-physic chief on what a tightly organized area she runs, she will melt in your hand. Or if you-"  
  
"If I allow my head of bio-chemistry to reorganize her area to her satisfaction before inspecting it, she will allow me to retain my command of this vessel?" he finished for her. He was sure she blushed this time.  
  
"Yeah, something like that..." she looked at her plate, but a wide grin graced her face. He began to chuckle and after a moment; she looked back up and him and laughed too. "I think you're going to do fine, sir."  
Captain Data returned to his new quarters after his dinner with Doctor Shayza, still chuckling about some of the things that she had said. Well, he had found one person that he did not seem to have any trouble in handling. Only four hundred eighty-three more to go... He passed many crewmembers and their families as he made his way to his new home. As his ship was not to be one of the ones on the front lines, families where allowed. He had never had problems with children like his former captain, Picard, so this fact did not trouble him. When he arrived in his lavishly appointed quarters, his cat greeted him warmly. Spot had died many years ago and Data had missed her terribly. He had never gotten a new pet though, until two years ago when he and Geordi had gotten together to celebrate Data's (activation) birthday and his friend had given him a calico kitten as a gift. Data had instantly fallen in love with the little ball of fluff. He had brought her over from Utopia Planitia this afternoon and watched her sniff over the rooms before she let him know that they were acceptable to her.  
  
He bent now to scoop her up in his arms and scratched her behind the ear as he walked over to his personal computer that had only just been installed. As his puffball fell asleep, purring in his lap, Data pulled up further information on one Doctor Teagan Shayza.  
Tomorrow morning, Teagan thought to herself as she dropped into her chair behind her desk. By tomorrow morning, we should be ready for inspection. Her feet hurt and it seemed like she could feel all of the muscles in her body and they were all screaming. I'm definitely going to need some sleep tonight and maybe a long soak in the bath.  
  
"Ok, mission accomplished, oh feared ruler, what next?" Lauralee said, pulling Teagan back in to reality. The blonde stood in the doorway to her office and leaned her lithe body against the left side. Teagan grimaced.  
  
"That is not exactly a proper tone or comment to make to your superior officer, Lt. Apple. We don't want to give our new captain a bad impression of us, now do we?" she admonished her friend firmly. Lauralee's eyes gleamed with mischief.  
  
"Speaking of our illustrious leader, the grapevine says that you and he were seen having dinner together last night. Is that true?" Teagan groaned, but nodded.  
  
"Yes, but that does not mean anything. He just needed a place to sit, and I had an extra chair at my table." Teagan did not look at her friend's face, but she knew she was not going to let go of this without even seeing the other woman's expression.  
  
"And he just happened to find an empty seat at your table only? Please, Doc, I saw the look on your face when he walked in yesterday. You were almost drooling." Teagan gasped and gapped wide-eyed and indignantly at the woman.  
  
"I was not drooling, Lor, and I will thank you not to start any rumors of that nature!" Teagan's temper was flaring, and Apple knew better then to push her luck when this red head got hot under the collar.  
  
"Ok, ok. What ever you say. But I still think he is out of your league." Maybe this is true, but maybe it isn't... The redhead thought as she assigned Apple her next task.  
She was too tired to cook, so for the second evening in a row, Teagan headed for the lounge for her dinner. Upon entering the busy room, she found herself staring at a back that she was certain belonged to the captain. He turned almost as though he sensed her presence and smiled.  
  
"It appears we are both too late to find a table this evening, Doctor," he said by way of greeting her. She nodded, but said nothing. He was right; every table was not only occupied, but full.  
  
"There are two empty chairs at the bar, Doctor. Will you do me the honor of joining me?" he asked, pointing to their right. She met his bright eyes and nodded. They made their way through the crowds to the empty seats and he pulled hers out for her. Once they were seated and their orders were taken, (there was defiantly a benefit to sitting with the captain. You got waited on at once!) she finally thought of something to say to him.  
  
"So, how did your inspections go today, Captain?"  
  
He smiled at once. "Very well, due to your strategic suggestions, Doctor. With a few well placed positive comments to each of my officers, they were put at ease and our interviews proceeded without incident," he was very pleased with her and for some reason this made her very nervous. She found herself staring at her hands.  
  
"I'm glad I could be of service to you, sir," she managed to say.  
  
"How goes the progress in the Bio-chemistry lab, Doctor?" he asked after a moment of silence. She looked up quickly.  
  
"Quite well, sir. We should be ready for your inspection tomorrow morning." He nodded, thinking over his schedule for the following day.  
  
"Shall we say 1000 hours tomorrow then?" he offered. She raised an eyebrow at him. She suspected that he was going easy on her by saying 1000 and not earlier.  
  
"0800 hours is fine if you would prefer, sir," she told him. He grinned.  
  
"I wanted to give you time for last minute touches, Doctor." She laughed at this and he sighed, she was finally relaxing again.  
  
"Could you manage 0900 hours? That way I would have too much time to second guess myself," she said in a confessional tone. He grinned and nodded his agreement, as their dinners were places before them. They chatted about the changes that Teagan had noticed it the ship. They chatted about the crowd and what he had to accomplish before the ship's scheduled departure tomorrow at noon.  
  
"Teagan!" a male voice called from across the room, interrupting the captain as he detailed what lay ahead for the crew in the coming days. Both turned their heads to see a tall, fair and curly haired man make his way to Teagan's side. The man was built like a cross between a powerful warrior and a Grecian god. Considering the man's size it was surprising that he still moved with no lack of grace as he passed the obstacles in his way. As the captain watched the man cross, almost every female that he passed turned to flash a smile his way.  
  
"I've been looking everywhere for you, girl. Oh, pardon me, Captain Data. I did not mean to disturb you." Ashton Uker said obviously believing that the captain just happened to be sitting there.  
  
"Well, you found me. The captain and I were just having some dinner. What's up?" While announcing to the whole ship that she and the captain were having their second dinner together was not exactly what she wanted to do, neither did she want Ashton to misunderstand why the captain was looking a bit disturbed by the interruption Ashton's hail had caused. Ashton's deep blue eyes went wide at this bit of information.  
  
"Oh, sorry to interrupt, I did not know you were... I'll be brief. I just wanted to make sure we were still on for Thursday and Friday as usual, Teag. Are we?" Teagan nodded.  
  
"Yes, 19 hundred hours on Thursday?" she asked and Ashton nodded.  
  
"And 1830 hours at your place on Friday?" he asked. Trying not to blush, she nodded.  
  
"Yes, same as usual," she said, wondering what was going through the captain's mind at this and not wanting to find out.  
  
With a pleased grin and a caress of her shoulder, Ashton excused himself with a proper acknowledgement of the captain before he glided away. Left alone again, or as alone as two people could be in a crowded room, the captain grinned at Teagan.  
  
"A friend of yours, I take it?" he asked and she could not help but roll her eyes.  
  
"Yeah...ah, yes sir. I get together with him and three others on Thursdays and we...play music and sing together." She admitted with a sigh.  
  
"And Fridays? Unless it is too personal." He qualified. She shook her head.  
  
"No, it's ok. I usually host a bunch of people and we cook dinner. Well, I do most of the cooking and they do most of the eating, but we usually have a good time.  
  
"I assume that I will not be running into you for dinner on Friday then," he concluded. She looked uncomfortable and turned to stare at her plate. Was it her imagination, or did she hear disappointment in his voice?  
  
"No, not unless you tried looking in my quarters. That is. I mean, you could come if you wanted to." Oh god, just stop talking, a voice told her, but she failed to listen. "I never know who is going to show up from one week to the next, but everyone is welcome." He seemed to sense her discomfort and smiled casually.  
  
"I imagine that my presence would cause your other guests to feel less than relaxed, but I will keep your offer in mind, Doctor. Thank you." Good thing he could read between the lines, she decided and smiled at him. "Perhaps I will see you tomorrow night though, and of course I will see you at 0900 hours in the morning." With this he rose from his seat and with a parting smile, turned to go.  
  
"Captain, wait," she called to him. When he turned back to her, she flushed a little, but forced the words out. "Most of the crew does eventually show up at one of my get togethers. You did express concern over acclimating with them. Unless you wish to be more private than that..." she sighed, realizing that she was babbling and he was smiling. Taking a deep breath, she got to the point. "You really are welcome to come on Friday if you're not busy," there, she said it! He smiled appreciatively.  
  
"Thank you, Doctor. Perhaps I could put in a brief appearance," he said, indicating an inch with his fingers and grinning with a twinkle in his eye. She smiled back.  
  
"Great. Well, goodnight, Captain. See you in the morning, sir." He nodded his acknowledgement and turned once again to leave. With a sigh, she watched him go, noting once again the way he walked.  
  
"Did he like his dinner?"  
  
"What?" she looked across the bar to see their server addressing her.  
  
"I asked if the captain enjoyed his dinner. Did he?"  
  
"I don't know, he didn't mention it." She told him apologetically.  
  
"How about last night? Did he mention anything about the food last night?" Teagan looked startled that someone else was aware that she and the captain had dined together two nights in a row.  
  
"Why are you asking me? Why not just ask him yourself?" The man looked incredulous at her suggestion.  
  
"I'm curious, not stupid, Doc. Will you ask him if he likes his dinner tomorrow and tell me, please? I really would like to know." Now Teagan looked at him indignantly.  
  
"And what leads you to believe we will have dinner together tomorrow?" the man threw up his hands as though to ward off an attack.  
  
"Easy, Doc. I didn't mean anything by it. I just assumed you and he were friends. You seemed at ease with each other and all. Don't you know him?" She blushed now, embarrassed by his questions and her own reaction to them. "I met him for the first time yesterday. And I doubt I will be having dinner with him again. He is a busy man and will have a lot to do tomorrow with the ship beginning her new mission. It was just a fluke that we had dinner two nights in a row, nothing more." The server nodded and backed away nervously. 


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
She was tired, but sleep eluded her and Teagan found herself in the lab at four in the morning, causing third shift to be quite thrown off kilter at her sudden appearance. She tried not to act frantic, but after having dinner with the captain two nights in a row and cornering herself into inviting him for dinner on Friday, she felt added pressure to have her lab perfect before his arrival.  
  
She was so determined to see that nothing was left undone, that she was caught on the floor when the door slid open and a shiny pair of boots appeared before her. She looked up to find the captain looking curiously down at her.  
  
"Did you fall, Doctor?" he asked her. With a quick sigh, she shook her head.  
  
"No, sir. They replaced the carpet here and I swear I feel a lump under my feet in this area when ever I come in or go out and I was just trying to find it," she said not realizing how foolish this sounded until it was out of her mouth. It only got worse as he kneeled down beside her and felt the spot that she indicated.  
  
"I can detect no...lump...Doctor," he said and she found herself wishing that she had overslept instead of not being able to sleep at all.  
  
"No, sir. I can't find it again either," she agreed. Before he rose, he offered his hand to help her to her feet. Certain that every eye in the lab was on them, she reluctantly gave him her hand.  
  
"Should I come back at ten hundred hours, Doctor?" he offered. Trying to regain her composure, she took a deep breath and shook her head.  
  
"No, captain. My staff and I are ready for your inspection." The captain nodded and she introduced him to her staff one at a time knowing full well that he was aware of each of their names, but this was required by protocol.  
  
To her relief, the inspection proceeded without a hitch and he seemed pleased with everything he saw. In her office, he told her he was glad that she was able to put things in an order that she was comfortable with in such a short time. But he had a hunch that if he had came earlier things would not have been as bad as she tried to make them out to be.  
  
"Is that my compliment intended to make me at ease with you. Captain?" she asked, sitting on the edge of her seat behind her desk as he sat in the one before it. He grinned.  
  
"Perhaps, but I suspect it is a fact, Doctor." She flashed him a pride filled smile.  
  
"Maybe. But it is better today."  
  
"But still not perfect?" she considered.  
  
"Well, if I could find that damn lump under the carpet..." she let her voice trail off and the Captain laughed freely at this. He rose from his chair and she realized that the inspection was truly over and that she had passed with flying colours as far as she could tell. Her people would be very pleased.  
  
"Oh, Doctor. I feel I should reciprocate on your invitation to join you and your other guests for dinner on Friday evening," she opened her mouth to interrupt him, but he held up a commanding hand to stop her. "I would be honored if you would join me in my quarters this evening for dinner. I do not cook, but my food slots work just fine as far as I can tell. I believe I should be free by 1900 hours if that is acceptable." She was stunned by his offer, but could think of no reasonable excuse not to go.  
  
"Yes, 1900 is just fine, sir. I will see you then. Thank you, sir," she rose as he left her office, but as soon as her door slid closed again, she collapsed bonelessly back into her chair. Three nights in a row! What could that mean? Did it mean anything? What ever it meant, it couldn't be good!  
  
The door chimed and at her call, her office was over run by her staff wanting to know the results of the captain's inspection. Life never stops, even when you are just not prepared to deal with it.  
Pacing around her quarters, she wondered if she should change out of her uniform or stay in it. Should she keep her hair up, like she did during duty hours or put it down like she normally did after she left the lab? Relax or you are going to make a fool of yourself and who know what that would cause him to do.  
  
Standing outside his door at exactly 1900 hours she was in uniform, but had let her hair down after realizing that she had done so on the last two nights, so that would not look like she were doing anything to try and impress him. She rang for admittance and hoped that he answered before anyone saw her standing there.  
  
"Come," she heard him call and the door slid open before her. It took a great effort to calmly walk in rather that leap in and order the door closed behind her. Once inside though, she found herself taken aback with how comfortable his quarters were. He was already completely unpacked and everything looked as though he had lived here for years, not days. Colorful paintings accented the walls and tasteful sculptures dotted various pieces of furniture. The room had a definite masculine feel to it, but she found herself completely at ease here.  
  
He was bent over his dinning room table, just putting the last pieces of silverware in place. To her relief, he was still in his uniform. He turned to smile at her. "Welcome, Miss Teagan. I hope you had no trouble finding your way here." He said, not able to think of anything better to say. He was not totally at ease with entertaining, and entertaining females brought a whole new set of variables to the equation. No, not equation. This was not a mathematical puzzle, or any other type of puzzle. It was a purely social situation and one he had been looking forward to with increasing anticipation as 1900 had drawn closer.  
  
Now she was here and he must not let his nervousness show. But he was very nervous and could think of nothing to say to her now that they were truly alone for the first time. Why did he have to think of that? So, he was alone with her. She was not going to bite him and he was her captain, so she had to behave, but then so did he, not that he would ever do anything unbecoming an office.... Great, now you are babbling in your own head. Say something to her!  
  
"Can I offer you a beverage?" A drink, everyone else in the universe would say "a drink" and it does not involve a contraction, so you could say it that way as well, he thought with self recrimination. She took two steps towards him.  
  
"Yes, sir. Anything is fine." He moved for the replicator.  
  
"Wine perhaps?" he asked and she moved another step closer.  
  
"White. Something fruity," she added moving another two steps closer. He took note of the cinnamon scent that had appeared in his room as she had entered. He ordered two glasses of wine and moved to hand one to her. Fortunately a toast came to mind and as they clinked their glasses together he said, "To the newly reformed crew of the Repulse, may her new mission be as successful as her prior history." Teagan smiled at this.  
  
"And to her newly promoted captain on his first mission. May he be just as successful." He grinned appreciatively and they clinked glasses again before drinking.  
  
"This is synthehol, correct?" she asked after one sip. He nodded quickly.  
  
"Of course. While neither synthehol nor true alcohol have any effect on my systems, I would not serve the true version without informing you prior to serving." She smiled at his assurance and took note that he said 'you' and not a generic pronoun. Still she managed to nod.  
  
Indicating his quarters, she told him, "I admire your efficiency, Captain. I don't see a single box and everything looks to be in order. When I first came aboard, it took me two weeks to get completely unpacked," she had turned from him and was moving slowly through the room studying what she had not had time to notice before. He put his glass down and followed behind her.  
  
"I dislike....disorder," he admitted. She turned to smile. Coming closer to one of the painting that graced the nearest wall, she took note of the signature.  
  
"You painted this!" she exclaimed, surprised.  
  
"Yes," he acknowledged. She looked at him in awe for a moment before moving to the next painting. It also showed her captain's signature at the bottom. Touring the room at a faster pace, she verified that all but one had been done be the man following after her. Turning on her heels to face him, her face still reflecting the awe she felt, she spoke.  
  
"You are an artist." Her golden eyes radiated her admiration, but Data did not feel worthy of such praise.  
  
"Not precisely. I have combined the painting styles of-"  
  
"Did you paint them?" he nodded. "Did anyone tell you how or what to paint?" he shook his head. "You must like them, as you hung them, do you ever look at them?" he nodded slowly.  
  
"Do you think it was vain to hang my own paintings?" he asked sincerely.  
  
"My god, if I had a creative talent like this, I would." Flattered, he smiled down at her. "You are talented, sir. If you copied the styles of someone else, you still painted something that they did not, as I don't believe that Van Gogh ever painted or even saw the Mutaran nebula." She laughed and he did too. Sipping slowly on her wine, she followed him back to the diner table and he pulled out her chair to seat her.  
  
"What are we having, Captain?" she asked as he moved to the replicator.  
  
"Anything you wish. As I told you, I do not cook." She knew that she was letting the wine get to her as she giggled softly at this. She rose from her seat and came over to the replicator as well, grinning.  
  
"Then may I make a suggestion, Captain?" she asked, still grinning. Seeing that she was allowing the wine to affecting her, he thought she might be more pliable to what he had been meaning to suggest since her arrival.  
  
"You may, only if you agree to call me by my name and not my rank for the remainder of the evening." Her wistful expression slowly drained from her face and her hands shook slightly. He was relieved that her glass had been left at the table.  
  
"If you wish, sir."  
  
"Data," he corrected, gently.  
  
"Data," she repeated, nodding nervously.  
  
"May I call you Teagan?" he asked trying to remain composed when he did not feel anything approaching composure. She nodded slowly and he seriously considered kissing her. She was so close and so beautiful. The scent of her encircled him. But when she blushed and looking down, braking the eye contact with him, he felt that his moment had slipped away.  
  
"Computer, two dinners consisting of salmon in bourbon sauce, boiled new potatoes with butter, honey glazed baby carrots and two small tossed iceberg salads with raspberry vinaigrette." The computer asked for some further direction on the meal and she quickly filled in the blanks. A moment later two steaming plates of food and two small bowls appeared in the food slot and she handed him his, smiling. Everything smelled and tasted wonderful. If she was this good with a replicator, how would she be in a kitchen? Was she really going to cook Friday night or was that just how she referred to it?  
  
"Do you have a kitchen in your quarters, Teagan?" he asked between bites.  
  
"How else would I cook? You thought I was joking about that?" She was only half asking, but he nodded. "Nope, I was serious. I have a fully equipped kitchen that I use at least once a week and more when I'm not busting my tail getting my area prepared for a certain captain to inspect," she teased.  
  
"This captain would not be anyone I know, would he?" he teased back. She laughed out loud and almost choked on her last bite of salmon. He rose and got her a second glass of wine. She sipped it slowly, nodding her thanks.  
  
"Ok, you got me with that one," she admitted once she could breath again. He grinned. "So, are you truly going to make an appearance Friday evening or were you just humoring me?" she asked leaning forward and studying his face.  
  
"If you truly believe I will not be imposing, then I will come. You are certain that I will not be disturbing the....party?" She chuckled at this.  
  
"It's not really a party, Cap- Data, it's more like a gathering of friends. And I invited you and I want you to come. Even if you only stay for a short time, I want you to come."  
  
Was she saying this because of the wine, or did she really mean this? "I will come for a few minutes then," he assured her. She nodded, accepting his word.  
  
After dinner, she felt a little more clear-headed and as they moved to the living room area of his quarters, she declined a third glass of wine in favor of tea. After two sips of tea, she was standing again and wondered over to a shelf on which he had placed some items from his past. The mask he had made years ago, his Sherlock Holmes hat, and the sculpture that Jenna had given him, the storage unit that had once housed his emotion chip and his violin.  
  
"Do you play?" she asked, running a finger over his violin. He nodded.  
  
"You said you make music with your friend Ashton Uker and three others on Thursdays, what do you play?' he asked. She turned to face him and grinned.  
  
"My vocal cords mostly. I do most of the singing and play some piano, although Ash sings some as well. He has a wonderful deep bass, and it sounds good with my soprano, or at least I think so." Unbeknown to her as she spoke a small form made it's way from the captain's bedroom into the main room. By the end of her sentence, the form was directly behind her and only a foot away. Teagan took a step backwards in an effort to turn back toward the couch but stepped on the moving form instead of solid deck. Data made an attempt to catch her as she fell, but was not fast enough. She went down with a thud. A feline screech could also be heard.  
  
"Teagan! Are you alright?" Data asked, kneeling down beside her. Her ankle had been twisted so he felt along the bone. His fingers traced both her fibula and tibia trying to detect a brake. He found none.  
  
"I'm not sure. What was that?" She asked watching him feel along her ankle and wincing in pain as he pressed over certain areas.  
  
"Stripes. My cat. There are no broken bones, but it is tender here?" he asked indicating the area where she had stifled a cry of pain. She nodded, biting her lip. Touching the communicator on his chest, he hailed sickbay. As he effortlessly scooped her up in his arms and moved her gently to the closes couch, he spoke to the CMO.  
  
"There had been an accident in my quarters, Doctor. Please report here at once, bring what you would need for a strained or sprained ankle," Data told him as he brought a table closer to Teagan and lifted her leg up, propping it up on a pillow.  
  
"You sprained your ankle, sir?" the CMO, Dr. Jewel asked, sounding hurried, but very confused. Data sniffed his amused sniff.  
  
"No, Doctor, I will not be your patient. You will better understand when you arrive, Captain out," he ended firmly. Teagan had been watching him through the waves of pain as he made the call and elevated her foot, making every effort to cause her as little discomfort as possible. It did not escape her attention that he also had made an effort not to reveal to the Doctor that Captain Data had and injured woman alone with him in his quarters. She wondered if he was protecting his privacy or hers?  
  
"Did I hurt your cat?" she asked once he was seated next to her looking helpless.  
  
"I would assume not, as I saw her run back to the bedroom as you fell. She was not favoring any paws as she ran. I am sorry I did not warn you that she was coming up behind you. I tried to catch you as you stepped back, but I was not fast enough." Why was I not fast enough, he wondered. He decided that he would run a self-diagnostic once the Dr. Jewel arrived and she was not looking at him.  
  
The door chime saved them from further uncomfortably forced conversation. "Come," Data called and rose to guide the Doctor to Teagan's side. With only the briefest look of surprise over seeing Teagan sitting on the new captain's couch, the Doctor went to work. Running his medical tricorder over the injury point, Dr Jewel asked what happened.  
  
"She tripped over my cat," stated the captain.  
  
"I fell over his cat," Teagan said at the same time.  
  
Dr. Jewel looked from one to the other. The chief medical officer of the Repulse was an older human, close to retirement himself. His white mop of hair did not hide his age, nor did his careful movements. But at 71 he was no longer a spring chicken and did nothing to pretend he was. He was a stocky man and was not even as tall at the captain.  
  
"Were you the only casualty, Teagan?" the graying doctor asked her.  
  
"You really should check on her, Captain. I would feel better if we knew for sure that she was ok." Data nodded. This would also be a good time to run his self-diagnostic, as Stripes had retreated to his bedroom.  
  
"I wasn't aware that you and our new captain knew each other," Dr. Jewel commented as he worked to repair the damage her fall had done to her ankle.  
  
Teagan blushed deeply before replying. "If you mean prior to his receiving command of the Repulse, we didn't. We just met," she hoped she could leave it at that.  
  
"How did you come by a private meeting with him in his quarters than?"  
  
Grimacing, she answered. "He just asked me to have dinner with him and we were talking. Don't make more out of it than it is, Jewly," she told her friend in a warning tone.  
  
"Scuttle butt has it that you and he have had dinner together before. If I heard right is was both last night and the first night he was here." Dr. Jewel said gently, closing his medical kit. Teagan groaned with irritation.  
  
"Don't people have anything else to talk about? We just had dinner together, that's all!" she hissed quietly, not wanting the Captain to hear her. "He couldn't find an empty table and I had an extra chair, that's all," she told him, praying that was enough to satisfy the older man's curiosity.  
  
"Well, that explains the first night, but not the second or why you are here alone with him." Before she could attack, he held up a calming hand. "Retract your claws, love. Your private life is just that, but don't think for a moment that even though I would never say where you were tonight, that others would have the same discretion." She sighed heavily at this and he patted her knee, affectionately. Since both of their chosen professions often worked hand in hand and they had both been assigned to the same ship for the last four years, the two had had time to develop a close friendship that resembled a father/daughter relationship.  
  
"Try standing," He directed her, offering his hand to help her to her feet. She rose slowing, but smiled quickly.  
  
"All better," she assured him. "Thanks, Jewly," she said in a remorseful voice. He just grinned.  
  
Leaning to kiss her on the forehead, saying "Think nothing of it, I'll see myself out. Tell the captain good night for me, love," he told her and was gone.  
  
"I will if he ever comes back out," she promised the air, as she was now alone.  
  
She looked at the closed door that she knew led to the captain's bedroom and shook her head. Not going anywhere near that room, she thought to herself. Not even to tell him the doc's gone. She sat back down on the couch and replaced the pillow, which the captain had placed under her injured foot, to its proper place.  
  
She waited only another moment before she was joined once again by the captain and his troublesome feline. He came out with the beautiful calico in his arms, crossing the room, scanning it for the now gone doctor.  
  
"He healed me and left," she said, answering his unasked question. The captain nodded at this and took a seat next to her on the couch.  
  
"Stripes wishes to apologize for causing you injury," he told her looking at the large ball of fur in his lap.  
  
"Her name is Stripes? But she is a spotted cat?"  
  
"Calico, yes. Her predecessor was called Spot and was a tiger stripe tabby." Teagan laughed at this, which was the whole point.  
  
"I guess you just wanted to see who belonged to the strange voice you heard, huh?" she said, slowing offering her hand for Stripes to sniff. After a moments hesitation, the feline decided she should thoroughly inspect this new person, so she squirmed out of Data's arms and slowly made her way to Teagan, sniffing. She still managed to convey an air of aloof control. "Confident little beauty, aren't you?" Teagan told the feline female as the puff ball allowed the woman to scratch her behind the ear. Data gave a silent sigh of relaxation that Stripes, who tended to be very jealous and protective of her territory, was doing no further damage to his guest. He didn't want Teagan to be reluctant to ever visit with him in his quarters again.  
  
Almost as if she had heard his thoughts, Teagan dislodged his cat from her lap and rose to her feet. "I should be going, Captain. Thank you for dinner. I'll see you.well I'll see you Friday, correct?"  
  
He quickly came to his feet and followed her to his door. "Yes, I will come for a visit Friday, as promised. I am sorry the evening resulted in your being injured, Teagan," he said, certain this was at least part of why she was leaving so soon.  
  
"It was an accident, sir. I'm fine, Captain," she assured him by ever lifting her foot and swiveling her foot at the ankle to prove her words.  
  
"I thought you agreed to call me by my name for the duration of the evening, Miss Teagan?" he responded. She slowly met his eyes, returning her foot to the deck.  
  
"The evening is over, Captain. Good-night, sir," she told him softly.  
  
"Good night, Doctor," he said, and watched her walk swiftly down the corridor. He wondered at her abrupt departure, but he wondered even more at his delayed response when she fell. He had run a full self-diagnostic in the privacy of his bedroom, but had detected nothing out of the ordinary...with the exception of a heightened emotional state whenever he was in her presence.  
  
Counselor Tray Braccon walked quickly from his office to the nearby lift. Running a hand through his flaxen hair, he said one word, "Bridge." The lift came to life and rose through the decks until it delivered the 37 year old man to his requested destination. Braccon walked quickly around the edge of the bridge nodding at the first officer as he passed, and rang for admittance at the door at the end of the ramp. After all, one did not keep one's captain waiting any longer then absolutely necessary if one wanted to keep one's new position for long.  
  
A summons from the captain to report 'as soon as convenient' to his ready room could mean a number of things, but Braccon decided to interpret it as 'now!'. He had met briefly with the captain two days ago after seeing that his own personal effects had been sent to his new quarters in good order, but that meeting had only been a formality, and the captain had treated it as such. He greeted him, asked if he found his quarters satisfactory and welcomed him aboard. That had pretty much been it. Now would be a different matter.  
  
"Come," a voice called and Braccon entered the ready room of the new captain of the Repulse. "Counselor, thank you for responding so promptly. I had not expected you so soon. Please have a seat," the captain said pleasantly, indicating the empty chair on the other side of his desk.  
  
"Thank you, sir. How may I be of service?" he asked, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"I require your....professional advice, Counselor, as I have encountered an emotional dilemma that I feel unequipped to resolve." The captain looked somewhat unsettled by this admission, and even though this was his area of expertise, that look made him very nervous.  
  
"I shall do my best to advise you, Captain," the counselor said, trying to appear relaxed and confident.  
  
"Perhaps the best place to begin would be to ask your opinion on the subject of commanding officers fraternizing with their subordinates." The counselor sighed and relaxed, that was an easy question.  
  
"I see no problem at all with that, Captain. I believe it helps to raise moral and create a sense of unity when the captain does not build a wall between himself and his crew. Of course there are of course limits to this, one should not behave improperly or allow his friendships with his crewmates to influence his judgement when it comes to promoting his officers-"  
  
"Counselor, I believe I have not properly conveyed my true question. I had a more specific type of fraternization in mind." To the counselor's surprise, his captain looked embarrassed by this confession. All at once, the true meaning of what the captain was asking hit Braccon.  
  
"Oh, you are referring to...dating, sir?" The captain nodded, meaningfully. The counselor tried to give him his most reassuring smile. "It has been done before, sir. There have even been captains who have married crewmates or just carried on long...engagements."  
  
Data nodded at this. "I have read of these incidences, but the records did not relay the effect, if any, that the relationship had on the rest of the crew. Would a relationship of this nature cause the crew to loose confidence in their captain? Would the person with whom he shared the relationship be negatively effected in any way? What are the consequences if the relationship....fails?"  
  
Ok, so maybe this was not going to be so easy. "Well, sir. Addressing your questions one at a time. If the relationship is conducted properly, meaning that private behavior is conducted in private, and no favoritism is perceived, I see no problem with a relationship of this kind. As for the significant other, they would most likely be the one to determine what kind of treatment they received. If they are well liked and respected and make an effort to keep that respect, there should be no problem there either. As to ending that relationship, that would be a case of having to cross that bridge when you came to it, Captain. The circumstances that cause the relationship to end would greatly effect all involved. I, of course, would be happy to counsel you or both of you in that instance or any other time you felt it appropriate."  
  
The captain absorbed all of this and nodded. "Thank you, counselor, You have been most helpful," he said focusing on a precise spot on his desk.  
  
"You are welcome, Captain. Was there anything else?" Braccon asked, standing.  
  
"No, you are dismissed," he said quietly, already deep in thought. The counselor very much doubted the man even heard his, "Aye, sir," as he exited the ready room.  
Two hours later, Data found himself on deck ten, heading to the Bio- chemistry department. He was still not sure if this was a wise decision, but the thought of allowing the evening to pass without Doctor Teagan Shayza just did not sit well with him. It was bad enough that he would only be able to see her for a moment tomorrow. He damn well was not going to let this evening slip away if he could help it.  
  
Upon entering, he greeted various members of her staff. He spoke cordially with each of them, tried to appear unhurried until Teagan turned up. With a PADD in each of her hands, she rounded a corner so engrossed in what was on the left PADD that she almost walked right into him.  
  
"Captain! What...why....what can I do for you, sir?" the captain could not help but smile at having rattled her so.  
  
"May I speak with you in your office for a moment, Doctor?" he asked pleasantly.  
  
She did not know whether to smile or be concerned.  
  
Once behind the closed doors of her office, she turned to face him without moving to take her seat or put down the PADDs. "Please, tell me you're not here to inform me that you're beaming someone from my department off the ship," she looked half-serious half-playful. Data just smiled.  
  
"Not at all, Miss Teagan. I came to inquire as to your plans for this evening. You told me of your gathering to play music with your friends, but you did not state as to whether you would also be dinning with them prior to the scheduled activities." She looked almost stunned. She slowly turned from him, put her PADDs on her desk and went to sit behind it.  
  
Looking up at him, as he was still standing, she finally replied. "Am I correct in my assumption that you are asking me to join you for dinner this evening, Captain?"  
  
"If you do not have any prior commitments," he said, moving to take the seat in front of her desk.  
  
Even the way he sits down is....attractive, she thought, watching him as her mind raced through possible replies to his query. Four nights in a row, but other than to tend to her when she had fallen, or to help her up from the floor when he came for his inspection, he had not even touched her. She saw no indication that he thought of her as anything other than just a dinner companion, but should she risk saying 'no' and losing the opportunity to at lease be in the company of a man she found compellingly attractive?  
  
Why did he never give her time to think and sort out what she should do? Better to say yes, and sort this out later when she was alone and could think straight, she decided. Teagan took a deep breath. Realizing that she had waited entirely too long, and was keeping her captain waiting, she nodded.  
  
"Would you like to meet in the lounge at 1800 hours?" she asked. He grinned and rose to his feet, obviously pleased. He looked about to leave without even saying a word, but stopped before he reached the door.  
  
"Could you possibly manage 1730 hours? It has been my observation thus far that it takes us just under 90 minutes on average to eat in an unhurried fashion." Oddly, she thought she sensed some nervousness from him, but dismissed the notion at once.  
  
"It will be as you say, Captain," she said, obviously teasing. He displayed his appreciation of the humor, with a quick nod and a grin, turned, and was gone.  
  
"He is going to drive me crazy," she found herself saying to the now empty chair. With a groan, she threw her hands up in the air, rolling her eyes towards the ceiling. "Maybe he has already succeeded in driving me crazy, as I am sitting here talking to a chair."  
Walking down the corridors on his way back to the bridge, Captain Data found himself almost skipping with happy relief. He had been certain for a moment that she was going to turn him down, but was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. That was something that did not happen often, but neither was any part of his dealings with her, a norm for him.  
  
Teagan found it harder to recapture her train of thought after the captain's unexpected arrival and quick departure. She told herself that she could not allow him to do this to her and if her intuition proved right about him, this would not be his last unexpected appearance in her department during her shift hours.  
  
"What did the captain want, Doc?" Apple had asked her as soon as Teagan had come out of her office.  
  
"Oh, nothing important. He just had a minor question he wanted to ask," she answered, hoping that Lauralee would drop it, but doubting she would.  
  
"And he had to come all the way down here to ask it in person, Doc?" she asked raising an eyebrow at her friend.  
  
"Command prerogative, I guess," Teagan told her with a dismissive wave of her hand. She turned away, staring intensely at the PADDs that she had retrieved from her desk, and walked slowly away from Apple.  
  
Teagan retreated back to her office to complete her study of the latest progress reports and begin her work on her personnel reviews. The new first officer had requested an updated review list from all department heads yesterday. She had four more days to finish them and she hoped that it was enough time.  
  
The Repulse was three days away from the destination of her first mission since her refit and with her reformed crew. The mission was to arbitrate a civil dispute on a planet that was a long time Federation member. The disturbance between two different factions had escalated to the point that one side had poisoned the main water supply of the other side, killing over ten thousand people before it was discovered. The other side had retaliated with biological weapon that targeted once digestive system, causing the natural stomach acids to break down and become ineffective. The resulting deaths on both sides had terrorized enough of the civilian population that a revolt had taken place and it was quickly decided that war was not the answer.  
  
The two sides still could not come to terms on their original grievances, so they had called for arbitration of the dispute and for medical assistance in cleaning up the mess that the poisons and biological weapons had caused. This meant the Captain was going to be very busy in helping with the arbitration, and her whole department would be swamped with the clean up work.  
  
Feeling sure that while she would be very busy, the Captain also would be so busy, he would not have the opportunity to sneak up on her or ask her to dinner. It would give her a chance to get her head clear, she hoped. Being attracted to one's captain was not a smart move, she kept telling herself. He did not seem particularly attracted to her. He seemed only interested in forming a friendship, so walking around with goo-goo eyes for him was defiantly out. 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
The captain waited as calmly as he could manage for his dinner companion to join him. He had only been waiting for seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds, but it caused him to keep note of how much less time he would have before she had to leave and she had yet to arrive. Originally he had taken the seat that had his back to the door, but after three minutes and two seconds, he had risen and switched to the seat facing the entrance, hoping that no one took notice of the anxious expression on their captain's face.  
  
When he had waited a total of eleven minutes and seventeen seconds, the doors to the lounge opened and Teagan hurried through them. When she stopped to scan the room for him, Data tried not to jump too eagerly to his feet so she could see him in the rear of the large room. Teagan's eyes looked shadowed with worry as she made her way to his side.  
  
She had mentioned that she would not be in uniform for this meeting, as she would be going to join her friends for an evening of music directly after she left him. As Teagan came closer, Data took note of her attire. Her hair from the crown of her head was gathered together in a braid that was tied by a tiny ribbon at the tip, the rest of her hair curled about her shoulders. She had on green earrings and her lips had more colour that usual. Her dress was of a glossy green that hugged her figure to her hips where it flared out in a flowing skirt that fell to just below her knees. Her legs were bare to her feet, which were covered in matching green slippers.  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Captain," she told him, still out of breath in her rush to arrive on time. That was a feat she had known was impossible before she had left her office for the day. "I lost track of time and left the lab late. I hope you weren't waiting long," she said as he pulled out her chair and seated her.  
  
"I have been- No, I had only just arrived myself, Doctor," he told her as he retook the chair across from hers. The look in her eyes told him that she knew full well that he had just lied to her.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, but this time with a bright knowing smile. "I see you managed to get a table. A very good table, too," she commented, looking out the huge view port to gaze briefly at the stars as the passed.  
  
"I called ahead. The table is now to be...my table whenever I wish it. We will not be left without one again. Captain's privilege," he said with an almost embarrassed shrug.  
  
"Command prerogative," she said almost to herself, suddenly reminded of saying that to Apple earlier. He nodded.  
  
The captain had ordered two glasses of the same wine that they had shared in his quarters last evening. She thanked him for his thoughtfulness, wondering if he realized how the wine pointed to his being here longer that he had wanted her to believe. As she sipped it, she smiled, It really had been thoughtful of him to order her one and have it waiting for her.  
  
The server came to take their orders, but gave a meaningful glance to Teagan before rushing away to fetch their meals. As the man left, Teagan broke into giggles and the captain gave her a quizzical expression. She covered her mouth and tried to regain herself, but had trouble doing so.  
  
"Before we leave I would suggest that you tell the server what you thought of your meal tonight," she told him, between giggles and sips of more wine. Still confused, the captain asked her why? "He asked me the other night what you thought of the meal and I told him you did not mention anything about it. He was quite put out with me that I couldn't tell him if you liked it. I think he'll have my head if I don't see that he finds out your opinion tonight," she explained, still snickering. He smiled too, but there was a serious look in he yellow eyes.  
  
"I would be most put out with him were he to do you any harm, Miss Teagan. I will remember to inform him of my appraisal of this evening's meal. Do you believe I should include my feelings regarding the two previous meals we consumed here?" he asked her curiously.  
  
Teagan grinned, but shook her head. "I think he'll be happy just hearing about tonight. Still, it would serve him right if you told him of every little thing that you didn't like from this day forward," she answered, with an evil grin.  
  
"I could do just that, but I believe you are angry with him for some reason and want to repay him for an incursion that you perceive as unwarranted on his part?" At her guilty eye rolling he continued. "What was his offence?"  
  
Thinking about what had offended her, namely that the man had assumed that she and the captain would dine together again, she decided that under the circumstances it would be best not to disclose this to her dinner companion and to forgive the server. Blushing slightly, she told him, "Forgive and forget, I guess would be the most mature thing to do. Forgive me, Captain. It has been a long day and I did not get as much as I hoped accomplished. Another reason why you were kept waiting for a certain Bio-chemist,"  
  
The captain grinned, his eyes bright, "I believe I know of the one you speak. She is red haired, 5'3.76" in height, weight 48.415 kilo-"  
  
"Captain!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. "I am 5'4"," she said firmly. He smiled at her, but shook his head.  
  
"No quite, Miss Teagan, but you are...close," he told her, looking apologetic.  
  
"Humor me," she told him, looking so close to serious, that he nodded. "And a man is not supposed to speak of a woman's weight and especially not in public. But since you did bring it up, I thought that my record listed me at 49.5 kilos?"  
  
"I did lift you when you fell yesterday evening," he reminded her, speaking in a hush.  
  
"Oh," she said equally as quiet. "You have many talents, Captain. Remind me that if I start gaining weight, not to let you lift me," she teased, laughing and blushing slightly.  
  
When the server brought their dinners, Data stared at the man with a speculative expression etched across his face for a moment before clearing his features and giving the server a dismissive nod. Wide eyed, the man scurried away as thought the captain had burned him with his gaze, Teagan laughed out loud as soon as he was gone.  
  
"I can't believe you did that. I thought we were going to forgive and forget?"  
  
"You did not even tell me what we are to forgive him for, and I cannot forget it even if you do tell me. I will not have him upsetting you further," he said firmly, but then looked uncertain. "Do you think I went too far?" she grinned.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I think he will definitely think twice before giving either of us trouble, Captain."  
  
Unfortunately, she was forced to eat her dinner quickly to make it to her weekly meet with her boys, as she called them. The captain did not look happy when she rose to go. "I will escort you to the door," he told her coming to her side.  
  
"You haven't told the server what you thought of the meal," she reminded him gazing into his amber eyes. He grimaced at this.  
  
"I-" he began, but she touched his arm.  
  
"You are dropping by tomorrow, aren't you?" she asked him, cutting him off gently. He nodded. "Then I will see you then," she grinned, trying to smooth his ruffled feathers. "And I should warn you, sir, that this a casual event. No one will be in uniform and as you did not wish to make anyone feel uncomfortable with having their captain there, I would suggest you.dress the part." He looked her up and down, wondering if this would similar to what she would wear tomorrow.  
  
"I do not think I would look proper in a dress, Miss Teagan," he teased, not able to resist. He enjoyed her resulting smile.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind, sir." she gave him a sideways grin. "See you sometime after 1800 tomorrow. Good night, Captain."  
  
"Good night, Miss Teagan."  
Her "boys" were waiting for her when Teagan arrived. She apologized for her tardiness, but offered no explanation as she normally would if delayed. While most of the music from the past that was remembered today was classical, big band or jazz, the music that the "Repulsive five" as they called themselves, played was best known as rock and roll.  
  
The girlfriend of Charlie Chappmen from engineering, came every time they got together to hear him play the drums. Flicman Tony, who one of the teacher of the ship's younger children, was joined by his wife about half the time. He was able to play anything with strings better that anyone else Teagan had ever heard.  
  
Bita Rache always came alone; saying that no one from sickbay but Dr. Jewel would enjoy the music they played. Ashton was 'between girlfriends' at the moment, but did not let this bother him, he just flirted with Teagan. Dr. Jewel and Lauralee had shown up tonight and cheered as soon as she finally entered the reserved holodeck. Rolling her eyes, she stuck her tongue out at them and turned to smile at the three men that looked ready to roll.  
  
The next few hours were filled with music, laughter and even some drinking. When ever Ash was not dating someone, he tended to touch her more that he did when he was in a relationship and this normally did not even cause her to raise an eyebrow. Today, she wondered if she should encourage him to power his charm down.  
  
Nonsense, I have had dinner with the captain, but it is not like we're dating! She admonished herself. Dismissing the foolish hesitation, she let herself enjoy Ashton's outrageous maleness.  
  
Before the group broke up for the evening, Teagan decided that she should caution them of the additional invitation that she had extended to tomorrows gathering.  
  
"You invited the captain?" Ash exclaimed. Teagan blushed and nodded.  
  
"He wanted to know what you were talking about when you came up and asked about Thursday and Friday the other night. So, it's really your fault. He never would have asked about it if you hadn't come over," she retorted, teasingly. Everyone else just stood by taking it all in.  
  
"How was I to know that you were having dinner with him. And that reminds me, what the hell is up with that anyway? What are you doing having dinner with the Captain? I heard that it had been more than once too."  
  
Teagan blanched, "Since when do I report my activities to you?" she shouted fiercely. Ashton's face turned to stone. He was a good foot taller then her and as he inhaled, his chest puffed up in anger, and his glare was intimidating. The small red head before him gave no sign of being affected by his show. Narrowing her eyes, she just stared back.  
  
"You are free to see anyone you wish, my lady. But don't lift your self so high that you forget who your friends are." He took another deep breath, let it out and walked out of the holodeck.  
  
Teagan felt deflated in more ways then one at his disturbing departure. Turning, she saw the rest of the guys and their significant others slipping away as well. Looking up at the ceiling, she could not believe that she had let her temper loose like that. In a moment only Lauralee and Jewly remained.  
  
The willowy blonde was the first to approach her. "You ok, Doc?" she asked hesitantly. Teagan nodded sadly.  
  
"As well as I can be for someone who just made an ass of herself. I'm sorry, I don't know what made me blow up like that. I think I've been working too much or something." Teagan covered her eyes with her hand, as though hiding from her own childish behavior.  
  
"Get some sleep, Doc. But I would patch it up with Ash as soon as you can. He holds a grudge sometimes," Lauralee advised, cautiously.  
  
"I will. Thanks." She said, reaching out and giving the other woman's hand a squeeze.  
  
Dr. Jewel waited until they were alone before he said his peace.  
  
"I believe I can guess why you were touchy with Ashton," he told her, his expression deadly serious. Teagan walked over and sat on one of the chairs looking dejected. "What is going on with you and Captain Data?" He came to sit next to her.  
  
Looking at his sweet older face, she tipped her head to the side and gave a short snort. "That would be one of the problems. I have no idea. We've now had dinner together every night since his arrival. I started it, and he seems happy to keep up the streak. But I can't say that there is really anything going on. He's nice and I do enjoy his company and he seems to enjoy mine, but I really get no sense that this is anything but....a convenience."  
  
The older doctor looked confused by this. "What do you mean by convenience, love? Have you let him take advantage of you?"  
  
"No! He's not even tried!" she assured him quickly, taking hold of his hands. "He is always polite, thoughtful and...well, he's funny and jokes with me, but it is never anything like that. He came to my office just after noon today to ask if I would join him for dinner tonight," she paused, lost in thought.  
  
"One would think that if a man asks a woman to dinner for a fourth night in a row, that he means something by it, Teagan." His words were phrased as a statement, but delivered in a tone that asked a question.  
  
"I don't get the feeling that he wants anything more that someone to talk to. I get the impression that he is still working on getting his "Captain's feet" and needs someone with whom he can just relax. I think I got elected or maybe I unknowingly volunteered." Dr. Jewel smiled and patted her hand.  
  
"Well, I would still advise care when dealing with him. You look like talking is not all you are going to be happy with," she blushed, but opened her mouth to protest. He raised a finger to her lips. "Hush, child. You might as well not waste my time in false denials when I have known you too long to fall for them. He is the captain of this vessel now and I think it would be wise for you to remember that before you allow yourself to get lost in this." As he came to a stand, he kissed her cheek and gave her shoulder a parting squeeze.  
  
Standing in the doorway, he turned back briefly. "And do as Lauralee suggested, love. Make up with Ashton quickly before it festers."  
  
"I will," she called as the doors closed, leaving her alone.  
Teagan had a full day of apologizing on Friday. First off, she asked Lauralee to forgive her as soon as she arrived in the morning. She went to sickbay and spoke with Rathe, but called engineering and Tony's office after class time to make her apologies to the other two. She would wait until tonight, praying Ashton would still come and ask him to forgive her in person.  
  
The personnel reviews were almost done, but she just could not concentrate on them any more. Her tirade with Ashton kept coming to mind and her stomach hurt when she thought that it was possible that she had ended her friendship with him last night. No, Ashton was a hot blooded and passionate man, but surely, he would respond to her plea for forgiveness.  
  
She had known Ash for three years and had been friends with him for most of that time. She cared a great deal for the big hunk, and would not let him stay mad at her. She was certain that she could charm him into forgiving her even if she had to lay it on thick.  
  
This made her think of Lauralee again. Speaking of 'out of your league.' Ashton was that in spades. Oh, he loved to flirt with her, but she doubted she could ever really interest him. When he wanted to, everything about Ashton Uker spoke of steamy, raw sexuality. There was probably not a humanoid female aboard this ship that had not imagined what it would be like to share his bed, and Teagan had to include herself in that statement. But while a hot and steamy night once in a while would be.was long over due, she wanted more that just a pretty face to kiss and more than just a body to hold and....  
  
She covered her face in her hands, thinking that she must need more cool showers or maybe...no, defiantly more cool showers!  
Teagan had only just begun the prep work for the cooking when her door chime sounded. At her call to come, the door opened. Her jaw dropped for a split second when she saw that it was the captain.  
  
He was dressed in a deep blue loose fitting shirt with matching pants, but he had kept his uniform black boots on. He greeted her and came to stand near her.  
  
Looking at his boots, she grinned. "You don't go casual much, do you Captain?" she asked. He followed her gaze downward.  
  
"Not very often at all. Why?" he asked, wondering what she was looking at.  
  
"The boots don't really go with the rest of your attire," she told him looking back up at his face. He grimaced, staring at his boots.  
  
"Fashion has never been something I could quite grasp. The rules are in a constant state of flux. Should I go change?" The uncomfortable look in his face was so endearing that she found herself wanting to touch him...somewhere. Instead she just smiled sweetly at him and shook her head.  
  
"No, but you are early," she told him. He looked around her quarters, noting that no one else was present. He had not even thought to look when he had first entered. In his quick scan of the rooms, he noted ten potted plants, of which no two were alike. Paintings of three landscapes on the walls, some still pictures of people he did not know and some sort of sculpture that used coloured string and twisted pieces of gold and silver toned metals. Teagan's cinnamon scent was also strongly evident. Her dress was a soft red this evening and just as fetching as the one he had seen her in the previous evening.  
  
"You know what this means, don't you?" she asked, drawing his attention back to her eyes. He raised a questioning eyebrow. "You are here by relegated to cook's assistant." Her grin was teasing, but she handed him a knife and pointed at a bowl full of vegetables.  
  
"I believe I have told you that I cannot cook, Miss Teagan," he reminded her.  
  
"So, you are saying that commanding a ship full of people is well within your capabilities, but cutting up a carrot is beyond you?" She knew this was pushing it, but it had already been one hell of a day, and she did not have much restraint left. He gave her a playful grimace and she found herself laughing until tears filled her eyes. He watched her wipe her eyes, still laughing. She showed him what she needed of him and he did his best to follow her orders.  
  
"I have noticed that reaction in others and even experienced that phenomenon myself, but still do not understand it," he commented.  
  
"What phenomenon are you referring to, Captain?" she asked with a sniff and a final chuckle.  
  
"Tears when you are not sad. You are not sad, correct?" he asked, making certain.  
  
"Oh, no. I think I can safely say this the happiest I have been all day, sir."  
  
He grinned and gave her one of his pleased sniffs. "I will take that as a compliment, Doctor. Thank you," she nodded, smiling. "But that does not explain the tears," he finished.  
  
"Honestly Captain, I have no idea why that happens. I used to have it happen when I became very angry in my youth. I hated that and was relieved when I learned to combat it. It is not very convincing to shout at someone and have tears running down your face at the same time. People tend to take you less seriously under those circumstances, and that served to only make me angrier which caused more tears and...well, it was not pretty."  
  
He tried to envision the scene she described, but found he could not help placing himself as the person she was angry with and he did not want that. Both of them were pulled from their own thoughts at the sound of the door chime.  
  
The evening proceeded with people arriving every few minutes after that. As Lauralee was the second to arrive, she got the job of letting everyone in. Since Teagan was feeling protective of him, the captain was not released from his cook's assistant duties.  
  
Data found the idea of leaving quickly had evaporated. Although everyone from Lt. Apple to Dr. Jewel seemed surprised to see him here already, they all seemed to relax quickly enough once it became apparent that this was still Teagan's show and even the captain was doing as she directed.  
  
In short order, the room was overflowing with people, food and drink. Music played and conversation was everywhere. Teagan had said this would not be a party, but if that was not what this was, then the captain was at a loss to name it. Being the perfectly practiced hostess, Teagan moved through the crowd, greeting all and hugging most. She introduced him to many, but as he knew every face from either meeting them or from the review of their records, she found this redundant quickly and told him to mingle on his own after a while.  
  
One of the last people to arrive was Ashton Uker. As soon as he entered the room, Teagan seemed to sense his presence and turned from the person she was talking to, her colour pale. She excused herself from Terrance Hix, with whom she had been speaking, and moved with deliberation towards Mr. Uker. Her expression became softer, as the captain watched, and after a few words that he could not make out through the other distractions, Mr. Uker reached over and took her hand. From lip reading the words Mr. Uker spoke, the captain gleaned enough of the conversation to believed that they were apologizing to each other for something, but he knew not what. He was about to turn away when Mr. Uker pulled Miss Teagan into his arms and hugger her warmly.  
  
Teagan had been hugging many people this evening, the captain had not been among them, but he had only known her for five days now. He was not sure, considering these facts, why Mr. Uker's embracing Teagan gave him pause, but it did. Something about the expression in the man's eyes as he put his arms around the woman that the captain had dined with for the last five evenings, made that same captain....nervous.  
  
Were they involved? Data had never talked to Teagan about this aspect of her personal life. He had not had the time to really discuss much of her personal life at all. He knew she was not, nor had ever been married by her records, but records did not cover this.  
  
Mr. Uker loosened his hold on her, but his next move was to lean down and kiss Teagan. The kiss was on the lips. Teagan participated in the kiss as well. When their lips parted, Mr. Uker wrapped an arm around her slim waist and guided her along as they moved together to join the other members of their music making group. The others seemed pleased by the display that had all just witnessed, in fact the captain now realized that he had not been alone in staring intensely at the pair as they had come together. Every pair of eyes in the place had been drawn to them when Uker hugged her and the kiss had even been received by a few people clapping.  
  
Had they been dating, but had been involved in a disagreement at the time that the captain had come aboard? Had Teagan been available to join her captain for dinner all this time only because her relationship with this man had been on a hiatus? Thinking back to when Uker had interrupted their conversation on the captain's second evening spent in Miss Teagan's company, he did recall that she had blushed at the man. However, Uker had seemed friendly, but not possessive towards her. Neither had seemed upset with the other.  
  
No matter what the situation, the captain of the Repulse suddenly felt that the room was over crowded by one. Still lost in thought, he silently made his way to the door. He paused just in front of the exit thinking how in a social situation such as this, etiquette called for him to say good night to the hostess. He did not want to disturb her, but it would be rude to leave like this. Struck with indecision, he stood by the door looking very uncomfortable.  
  
Teagan was so glad that she and Ash had made up that she had momentarily forgotten about the captain. She pulled herself free of Ash's grasp, noting that he was so involved in the story he was telling that he was oblivious to her movements. She turned around, scanning the room. She was stunned to find the captain standing by the door looking like he was about to leave.  
  
Jumping to her feet, she made her way to him before he could move another inch towards her door. She noticed that the closer she came to him the more uncomfortable the captain looked.  
  
"Planning your escape, Captain?" she asked when she reached him. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words were never given voice as he just closed it again and nodded. "Is something wrong, sir? You look upset."  
  
Concern was written all over her lovely face. She waited for his reply and he looked at her lips, thinking how he had wanted to kiss them himself just two days before, but had hesitated a moment too long. Perhaps it had been for the best in light of what he had just witnessed.  
  
"I am fine, Doctor. But I believe it is time for me to say goodnight. Thank you for inviting me. I did enjoy meeting your friends and socializing with some of the members of my crew. You are indeed a wonderfully gifted cook." She grinned at this.  
  
"I had a great cook's assistant tonight. Thanks for helping, Captain," she said softly. She reached across and touched his forearm. Moving a step closer to him she took hold of the same arm with her other hand and leaning in, brushed his cheek with her own. "Good night, Captain Data," she said gently as she leaned back. She had yet to release his arm. Confused now, the captain looked into her golden eyes and nodded.  
  
"Good night, Miss Teagan," he replied slowly. She let go of his arm and stood by as he turned to go. That had been remarkably close to a hug, he thought to himself as he made his way to the bridge to check in and visit his ready room before returning to his quarters for the evening. Her cheek had felt warm and soft against his and he wished he could fathom what precisely she had intended to convey be that action. Whatever message she was attempting to get across, one thing was clear; tomorrow he would be dinning without her. 


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Teagan lounged in her bed two hours longer then she normally did, but since it was Saturday, that was all right. The personnel reports still hung over her head though, so her dragged herself from her warm and comfortable bed, showered and dressed. In her office four hours later she felt as though a thought was nagging at her in the back of her mind, but had not had time to let it advance forward enough to really know what it was.  
  
She paused a moment and took a deep breath. "Computer, what time is it?" she called.  
  
"The exact time is 1412 and twenty three seconds mark," the mechanical female voice responded promptly. Just after two o'clock and no surprise visit from a tall, dark haired commanding officer. It was Saturday; maybe he had other plans. Maybe he had decided that he had seen her enough this week or after the ruckus of last night, maybe he thought she was too wild.  
  
No, he had seemed down when he had left, but not insulted or like he had seen distasteful behavior from her other guests that had embarrassed him. Still, something had been on his mind.  
  
Well, if he could come here and invite her to dinner, it wouldn't be improper for her to call him and invite him to join her this evening if he were free, would it? She laughed at her own uncertainty. Well, what exactly were the rules when one had a crush on one's captain and wanted to ask him out?  
  
"Doctor Shayza to Counselor Braccon," she said after touching her communicator.  
  
"Braccon here, Doctor Shayza. How can I help you?" came his immediate response.  
  
"I hope I am not bothering you, Counselor."  
  
"Not at all, I know it's Saturday, but the ship's counselor is always on call. Kind of like the captain, Doctor." Teagan had to choke back laughter at his choice of comparison.  
  
"Great, I was wondering if I could ask you about something, Counselor. It wouldn't take but a moment. I could come to your office anytime in the next two hours if that's convenient."  
  
"Actually, I think I'm very close to your lab, if you wouldn't mind meeting with the counselor on your turf, Doctor?" Teagan smiled at this.  
  
"Wonderful. I don't worry about my staff thinking that I'm a little off balance, Counselor. They've known that for years. Shayza out."  
  
The counselor arrived a few minutes later and shook hands with the attractive redhead in her office before taking the seat she offered him.  
  
"Before I ask you what I want to ask you, Counselor. I need to ask a preamble question," she began.  
  
"You want to know if this is confidential." It was not really a question.  
  
She grinned. "Yes."  
  
"Completely," he assured her.  
  
"Even the captain couldn't order you to repeat what I'm about to say?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
"He could ask me to assess your mental state based on behavior I have witnessed or have had related to me, but no, he can't order me to break professional confidence and tell him of conversations I've had with you."  
  
The woman smiled and sighed heavily. "Good, because it's the captain that I wish to discuss," she said pushing back her chair and getting to her feet. Braccon's eyes went wide briefly, but he hoped she didn't notice. She turned and began to pace slowly about the small room as she related her tale. After a few moments of listening to her replay the events of the last few days and the time she'd spent in their commanding officers company, he put two and two together. It was obvious this was the woman that had caused the captain to call Braccon to his ready room a few days ago.  
  
The captain had good taste in women, the counselor thought privately. Teagan Shayza was a beautiful woman. Her manner was quite charming and though she was very unsure of her standing with the captain, the counselor doubted that this state would last for long. While the captain had been careful not to name names or give away more then he had to, the counselor was good at his job and could tell that these two people were headed for a long involvement. He saw no reason not to help it along a little.  
  
"If I understand you, Doctor, you want to know if it is appropriate for you to now invite the captain to dinner. Now, you must understand, I can't tell you what you should or should not do, but I can say that I see no reason why you cannot deliver your invitation. You have both invited and accepted prior invitations from each other," he reminded her.  
  
"True, but I have never called him while he was on duty. But if I wait much longer he may make other plans and....well," she looked helpless.  
  
"You want to keep the pattern going?" he finished for her. She nodded gratefully.  
  
"Too forward? I mean, he is the captain," she asked looking like she was expecting to be scolded for brashness.  
  
"No, I don't think so. If it is truly what you want, I see nothing to ethically prevent you from proceeding" He got to his feet, sensing that she was now in a hurry to place the call before she lost her nerve. She shook his hand again with warmth and thanked him for his time. He told her not to hesitate if he could ever be of further assistance and wished her good luck.  
  
So, this was the Captain's woman, he thought as he made his was back to his own office. Not bad at all...  
Sitting back behind her desk, Teagan steeled herself. Wait, better find out where he is first, she realized. "Computer what is the currant location of Captain Data?"  
  
"That information is restricted to command crew only. Authorization is required."  
  
"Of course, silly me. Wait, computer, is the captain's ready room vacant?"  
  
"Negative," was the reply.  
  
"Ok, now we're getting some where. Computer, is there more that one occupant in the captain's ready room?"  
  
"Negative,"  
  
"Great!" she exclaimed and taped her communicator. "Doctor Shayza to Captain Data."  
  
"Data here, what can I do for you, Doctor?" he did not sound too busy, but he did sound very formal.  
  
"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Captain."  
  
"No Doctor, did you need something?" he asked, just as formally.  
  
She suddenly felt a wave of uncertainty. "Well, I was just wondering if you...umm...if you had plans for this evening? Dinner that is?" There was a pause and she wished she had used the computer monitor to contact him so she could at least see his face, but it was too late now.  
  
"I have made no plans for dinner, Doctor," he said simply.  
  
And you're not going to make this easy for me, are you? She sighed silently. She was committed now, might as well jump in the deep end. "Would you be free to meet with me for dinner then, sir?" she asked closing her eyes and grimacing.  
  
"You do not have other plans this evening, Doctor?" he asked.  
  
What did that mean? Why would she be calling him if she had other plans? "No, sir."  
  
He paused again. "1730 hours in the lounge, Doctor?" he asked.  
  
"Aye, sir," she responded feeling like it was suddenly his invitation and not hers. "I promise not to be late this time, Captain," she added before he could sign off.  
  
"I will hold you to that, Doctor," he replied. She could almost hear the smile creeping over his gentle features. "Captain out."  
  
Heaving a great sigh of relief, she laughed at herself. "Well, that was a lot like pulling teeth. What is he doing? Playing hard to get?"  
The lounge was not as crowded as it was during the week, but it was still rather noisy when she arrived. She made sure she was early this time so she even beat the captain. She was not sure whether to be flattered when the server saw her and escorted her directly to the captain's table or insulted that the man was assuming again. He was assuming correctly, she reminded herself and she had already had enough trouble with getting hot under the collar about this, so she decided to be gracious and thanked him. Doubting that the captain would be late, knowing his nature and dislike of disorder, she ordered a glass of wine for both of them.  
  
She kept her seat when she saw him enter at the stroke of 1730, since he knew where the table was and she was still hoping that he was not going to look upset at replaying this scene with her, again.  
  
"Greeting, Doctor. I hope you fare well this evening." He said once he reached the table. She answered as he took his seat.  
  
"I would have to say that that depends on you, Captain," she said firmly, but with a pleasant smile.  
  
"How is that, Doctor? I assume this wine is for me?" he asked indicating the glass before him. She nodded. Who else would it be for, she thought to herself. He took a sip and nodded his approval as she had ordered a red for them this evening. "A good choice, Doctor. Thank you."  
  
She sighed in frustration. His formality could only point to there being something very wrong here. "I am not going to let you sidetrack me with flattery over my wine selection, sir. You were upset about something last night when you left my quarters. You also left suddenly. Today you did not call me and it may be a five-day pattern, but it was a pattern none the less. You are also acting strange now and what did you mean by asking me if I had other plans for tonight?" This all came out in a rush and she worried that she was over reacting. But something in his eyes was...different.  
  
He looked at his wineglass. He took another sip and wished that it had the same effect on him as it did on her. "In what order do you wish your questions answered, Doctor."  
  
"I also think I preferred "Miss Teagan" to your stiff lipped "Doctor", Captain Data. Answer them alphabetically, in the order asked or backwards. But answer this first. Are you angry with me? Have I done something to offend you? If you don't tell me I can't stop doing it." He met her eyes as she spoke, but when she finished, he looked back at his wine.  
  
"I am not certain I can ask you to stop. It may not be appropriate," he admitted reluctantly. She sighed, not knowing if this was progress or not. Unfortunately, their server chose this moment to make his appearance.  
  
"Please give us a few more minutes. We'll signal you when we're ready. Thank you," she told the man before the captain had a chance to say a word. The server raced off nervously. "What did I do?" she prodded, turning her attention back to the captain.  
  
He could not meet her eyes. "If you and Mr. Uker are....involved you need not feel that you are obligated to spend your dinner hour with your captain. I-" she stopped him there.  
  
"Wait, you think Ashton and I are involved?"  
  
"He did...kiss you last night. I could not help but see it," he said, defending what he thought could be seen as voyeurism. She laughed, but she blushed too.  
  
"Everyone in the room saw it, Captain. Ashton fully intended for everyone to see. But for more reasons then one," Teagan looked at the ceiling for a moment. "How does one explain Ashton?" She thought for a moment and then looked back at the man seated across from her. "Ashton is very....physical. His charm is the stuff of legends on this ship and so is the list of women he has used it on. I am what you might call his fall back position. No, that doesn't sound good. Let's see, umm, when he is between women he likes to practice his charm on me, but that's all he's practicing. He flirts and teases, but it has never gone any further, Captain. And I choose to keep it that way."  
  
The captain still looked doubtful. "You kissed him as well, Doctor," he reminded her.  
  
She sighed again. "I had an argument with him Thursday night. I lost my temper and said some things I shouldn't have. That was just a...make up kiss. We are close, but not that close. I've known Ashton for over three years now and I know how his mind works. Words are not his strong suit. I have dinner with you because I want to....sir." She told her captain firmly. Her eyes were locked with his. Teagan wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding. How could he not realize that seeing him at dinnertime for five nights, now six in a row meant that she found him appealing and not Ashton? Kissing someone else in front of him is defiantly out, she thought, as she watched him struggle to accept her assurance that nothing serious was going on with her and Ashton Uker.  
  
"Then I would like to ask you a question, Miss Teagan," he said, his eyes alight with purpose.  
  
She put her wine down and leaned back in her chair, preparing herself. "Yes, sir?" she asked.  
  
"Will you join me for dinner tomorrow evening?"  
  
Relief flowed through Teagan. She had to give him credit for a quick recovery and refocusing. Maybe he did have an interest in more than just dinner.  
  
"We have not even ordered tonight's dinner, Captain. Are you certain that you won't change your mind about that before the evening is through?" she asked him, playful amusement dancing in her eyes.  
  
"Your friend Mr. Uker may have prior claim to most of your evening on Thursdays, and all of your friends take up your evenings on Friday. Are there any other days that you have prior arrangements with other members of the ship's compliment?" She shook her head, but looked confused. "Since taking command of this vessel, I have had the pleasure of your company for the duration of my evening meal. Unless you have reservations in this matter, I would like to continue the trend and to consider it...prearranged." Teagan just looked at him, stunned into silence for a moment. He was asking her to have dinner with him every night except for Fridays?  
  
"People are going to wonder if there's something going on between us, sir," she cautioned him. He nodded.  
  
"I have considered that possibility. As the captain of this vessel, my rank and fear of reprisal may shield me from some of the rumors that could begin. However, you shall have no such shielding, therefore you may receive the brunt of the gossip that we assume will flow. I do not know how to protect you from something I may never hear personally. If, however I can help in a manner that you believe appropriate, I would ask you to inform me at once. If at any time you find that you no longer wish to continue sitting at the captain's table, you should tell him this as soon as possible." His last words almost sounded funny, but his expression showed them to be intensely serious.  
  
"It will be as you say, Captain," she said so softly that were it anyone else sitting across from her, they would not have heard her. 


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
The Repulse's first mission began the next day when they arrived at the planet and the captain beamed down to join the diplomatic party that were to act as arbiters and help the two opposing factions come to an agreement they could all abide by. Dr. Shayza beamed down to another location of the planet to help with the problems that were applicable to her and her staff. She worked in concert with Dr. Jewel for most of the day, helping him work up vaccines and medications that were needed as a result of the various hazards that these people had inflicted upon themselves.  
  
When evening came, Teagan was still hard at work testing vaccines in the lab on the planet and coordinating with Lauralee who had been left in charge on the ship. She was so wrapped up in her train of thought, that an unexpected tap on her shoulder caused her to gasp in shock. Turning, she expected to be able to pinch Jewly for scaring her half to death. She was shocked for a second time in as many minutes to be looking into the concerned eyes of her captain.  
  
"I startled you, Doctor. I apologize," he said reaching out and just touching her arm before stepping back from her and returning his hand to his side.  
  
"I guess I was lost in all of this, Captain. I don't think I would have noticed if it had been a group of hostile Romulans breaking in here with disrupters aimed at my head." This caused the captain's eyes to widen and look towards the door.  
  
"Perhaps I should post a security officer," he mused. She giggled shaking her head.  
  
"I could have been exaggerating. Why are you here, sir? Aren't you supposed to be with the arbiters team?" she asked, stifling a yawn. He nodded.  
  
"I was, Miss Teagan. The discussions have ended for the day," he informed her. She looked surprised.  
  
"Why? What time is it?" Her captain just smiled.  
  
"1924 hours, and I am here to escort you to dinner. You should call your relief at this time, please," he directed her gently but firmly.  
  
"Yes, sir." Doing as he had commanded only took three minutes. Lt. Frank beamed down in seconds and she quickly showed him how far she had gone in the elimination process. The captain stood waiting patiently and tapped his COM badge as soon as she came to stand at his side.  
  
"Captain to Repulse, two to beam up at these coordinates." As they sparkled out of the room, Lt. Frank looked over to where they had been, raised an eyebrow and then smiled.  
Once their molecules had reformed aboard the ship, the captain proceeded Teagan off the pad, but waited for her to reach his side before moving again. The captain then proved that he was not through startling her for the day. He bent his arm and offered it to her. Aghast, she was certain all of the colour drained from her face for an instant. Trying to recover and not embarrass him, she slipped her arm though his pretending that it was something that she did every day of her life. But she could not help but feel the eyes of the transporter chief on them, and she tried not to imagine what he was thinking.  
  
With his usual air of confidence, the captain guided her smoothly from the room with an easy nod of acknowledgement to the chief as they passed him. Once in the corridor, she stole a look at the man who walked silently, close beside her. She still found the way he moved fascinating. His cool manner always softened slightly when he spoke or even looked at her, but was it enough? What was he looking to get from her? Or did he already have want he wanted, just someone to talk to?  
  
"Is the work proceeding as expected, Miss Teagan?" he asked, finally breaking the odd silence that had fallen over them.  
  
"Almost. I believe Dr. Jewel was disturbed by the discrepancy between the preliminary reports that we received, and the actual number of people effected by the various toxins. There is not going to be one or two quick fixes here, sir. But the worst has been seeing the effects this damned insanity has had on the children, both born and unborn." Her captain met her eyes, the meaning of her words obviously not lost on him.  
  
"Horrific," he said, almost in a whisper.  
  
"Exactly," she agreed.  
  
They walked in silence again, making their way slowly through the various corridors. As they walked, Teagan allowed the stress of the day to drain away, but it was only replaced by fatigue. The thought of collapsing into her bed and sleeping for days suddenly held great appeal, but she did not wish to disappoint the captain. It occurred to her just how involved this involvement could be. She was going to have to be very cautious about everything she did and every word she said to anyone from now on. Any misstep could reflect poorly on him, causing him to end... whatever this was, with her. Even if he did not care for her in the way she wanted him to, and he made her very nervous at times she did not want it to end. He could just look at her and make her dizzy, his touch made her tingle and she knew all of this meant she was in way over her head.  
  
Suddenly it dawned on her that they were not going where she had expected. "Where are we going?" she finally asked him. He looked down at her and smiled gently.  
  
"My quarters, Miss Teagan. I do not care to dine in the lounge this evening. After a day filled with a multitude of people, I would prefer a quieter evening." This made excellent sense to her, but it also hinted at an intimacy that she hoped for with him, but that thus far had eluded them. What was it that drew her to him? He was so different and some of those differences made him dangerous. Oddly, his being an android really did not matter much to her. His being the captain had much more of an effect on how she felt and acted around him. She did wonder about some things that his being an android could effect, but she felt certain that if she asked him, he would freely answered any question she could think up.  
  
They entered his quarters and Stripes came to greet them as soon as the feline heard their entrance. Surprised that she was winding around her legs, Teagan bent to lift the cat into her arms. "And how is the captain's woman this evening?" she cooed.  
  
"The captain's woman?" he repeated, questioningly. She flushed and laughed nervously, glad that he was the only one here to have heard this. "Is that not an antiquated term once used to describe the female who was...intimately associated with the captain?" There was obvious hesitation in his voice.  
  
"Well yes, but it also came to be used for his personal assistant, or yeoman assuming she were female of course."  
  
"Stripes is not capable of assisting me with....anything," finished after a moment's consideration. Laughing, Teagan turned to look a him.  
  
"Well no, but she is the closest living being to you. After all you share quarters with her and have for the last two years, I assume."  
  
"You assume correctly. She was the second reason for us to dine in my quarters. Having been on the planet since 0600 this morning, there has not been an opportunity to feed...the captain' woman." Even as he said the words, Data did not care for the term being used to describe his cat. But at this point in his life he had yet to meet anyone interested in playing that role insinuated by the term.  
  
Tasha Yar's death had put an end to any hopes he may have had to one day revisit the question of whether or not "it never happened". His two week long "experimental romance" with Jenna D'Sora had left him with more questions than answers. It had ended with Jenna realizing that though he was as kind to her as he was capable, love would never be a possibility between them as this had been years before he had installed his emotion chip. In the years following the chip's instillation he had received casual offers of intimate companionship, and had young female ensigns flirt outrageously with him. The first had left he envisioning a second woman telling him that it had never happened, and the second just did not appeal to him in any way.  
  
In the twenty-fourth century, sex was not always a commitment. By some it was treated with the same importance as what clothing you wore for the day.  
  
While technology would not have made it possible, Data believed that his personal code of ethics involving intimacy would have had him more comfortable in the 1800's of earth history. One found someone with whom one was compatible, dated her, fell in love with her and then married her. Sex occurred in there somewhere, but mostly after you felt there was a damn good chance that "this was the one".  
  
Shortly after Data's chip had been installed, he had found the time to replay his time spent with both Tasha and Jenna, but this time he could see it with emotional eyes. While the actual replay had taken seconds, the emotional journey that the action had initiated had yet to end.  
  
He would have loved Tasha emotionally, had he been able. But as painful as it was to admit, she would never have been 'the one'. While in truth, Jenna was closer to what he wanted; she too fell short of his idea of the perfect mate. For years now his halfhearted quest had come up empty. Perhaps there was just something that his father had failed to include when he had programmed Data's emotion chip. His life in StarFleet had enabled him to meet more people in his fifty-two years than most any other career would have in a lifetime. Still, the romantic encounters he had thus far enjoyed were...few and far between.  
  
Relax, he told himself, and accept what is offered. He had known Teagan for seven days now, and while he felt closer to her than anyone else on the ship, in other ways he felt as though he knew almost nothing about her. Time to rectify that omission.  
  
He went to the replicator and ordered feline supplement number 47 for Stripes. Teagan released Stripes and as the feline ran for the bowl that the captain had just placed on the floor, Teagan grinned at him.  
  
"Supplement number 47? How many are there?" she asked, coming over to stand next to her captain.  
  
"Two thousand, three hundred and seventy eight," he stated, but looked confused when Teagan began laughing.  
  
"You have a wider verity of items to choose from to feed your cat that most people eat in a life time. I like to experiment in cooking, but I don't think I will ever hit, two thousand three hundred and...."  
  
"And seventy eight," he finished for her. "Most of the selections were created for Stripes' predecessor, Spot. Spot was very hard to please when it came to feeding time." The captain's eyes clouded over and he turned slightly from her as he continued. "I spent a considerable amount of time trying to decipher what would please her from day to day. My friend Geordi would tease me that while I believed I was training her to behave, in fact she was training me." Looking at nothing, he smiled slightly at the memory. Teagan tried to imagine this man being manipulated by a four-legged female, and smiled at the image, no matter how hard it was to fathom.  
  
"You miss her, don't you?" He looked back at her, studying her golden eyes for any hint of the amusement that had been there seconds before. He found only compassion there now.  
  
"Yes." He looked down at Stripes, who had finished her dinner and was involved in her after dinner wash. "She is a good cat. Better behaved in many ways that Spot ever was, but I do miss her. Spot was not every accepting of others, and with all her claws could cause a great deal of damage. But she never used them on me."  
  
"I think that has something to do with it, don't you?"  
  
He was confused again. "I did not like it when she attacked others, Miss Teagan. That would not be something to miss about someone."  
  
Teagan grinned and shook her head. "No captain. You miss her because she liked you and no one else. You were flattered that she preferred you above all others. Maybe it was subconscious, but that would be my guess. And the fact that you had her for so long."  
  
He nodded. "Eighteen years, two months, one week, three days and you are still listening." Now it was her turn to look confused. "Intriguing."  
  
"Why wouldn't I be listening? You were talking to me." Her expression clearly showed how odd she thought his observation.  
  
"I have noted that if I describe a length of time...exactly....I tend to irritate those listening to me," he admitted. Understanding removed the confused expression from her face. Now she smiled with a playful glint in her eyes.  
  
"I doubt that you will get that reaction much, now that you are a captain; at least not from those under you. You could use that as a test if you had a mind to," she said, chuckling. "That could be fun, but I don't think it's your style." She concluded, regretfully.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Is it your style, Miss Teagan?"  
  
Grinning wildly and trying to avoid his eyes by staring at the ceiling, she nodded. "Oh, I have done much worse. Are you hungry? No, you're never hungry. I'm hungry. We should eat now."  
  
He tried not to laugh, as he did not like hearing that she had 'done much worse' but her intentionally humorous way of trying to change that subject was very humorous. He went back to the food slot and thinking better of it, looked back at her.  
  
"Would you do the honors, Miss Teagan?" he asked, indicating the unit in the wall.  
  
Tilting her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at him, but still grinning she asked, "Are you bowing my superiority in this one area, Captain?" he nodded.  
  
"I must admit, I cannot even request a meal as well as you can. But your cooking is far superior to both." Her golden eyes glowed with her pleasure at being complimented so.  
  
"Compliment me again like that and you will talk yourself into a meal cooked by yours truly, exclusively for you, Captain," she told him coming to stand in front of the food slot.  
  
Thinking of something to say was not a problem; thinking of something to say that would not be too forward was another matter. Compliments regarding her culinary skills were safe; telling her that he thought her hair, eyes, face and everything else was beautiful was too.soon. But her offer was very tempting. While food was, of course, not something he required as an android, he did enjoy his emotional responses to taste. Emotions had added a whole new dimension to eating that he had not expected prior to the chip's installation. While he had at times, eaten just to appear social, now he liked to enjoy the flavors and the sensations that the tastes could evoke.  
  
"You also have a better sense of fashion." That was safe, he assured himself. She turned back to him, giving him a look he was at a loss to understand.  
  
"Alright, I'll give you points for the humor and give that one to you as I had it in mind to invite you to my quarters anyway," she turned back shaking her head and grinning again. At least she smiled a lot around him. She ordered their dinner and after handing him his plate, made her way to the table. He ordered the wine and two trips later sat across from her.  
  
"I never thought that I would hear a captain admit to being less than proficient at anything, even if it is as insignificant as being able to cook a meal.or coordinate shoe with an outfit," she added tipping her head towards him with a sly smile.  
  
"I cannot speak for other captains, but there are many areas where I am not proficient, and as an android there are things I cannot do at all."  
  
Teagan's head came up at this. "Ok, you have me curious now. What things can't you do that I can?"  
  
"Be hungry as you mentioned earlier. I have never been tired either, and although I can activate a program that allows me to dream, I do not technically sleep."  
  
"Not a big loss there, sir. Dreaming is the best part about sleeping," she noted as she waved her fork at him, conversationally.  
  
"Interesting, I have had others note additional aspects of this ability as pleasant. For instance the drowsy sensation that precedes falling asleep." She looked a little lost in thought at this.  
  
"Or climbing into a warm bed covered in blankets on a cool night. Alright, there are a few other pleasing aspects to sleep, but the best is still dreaming. Continue, Captain. What else can you not do?" she asked.  
  
"Be warmed by a blanket, as I cannot feel cold or warm."  
  
"Huh, Then your synthetic skin is not capable of relaying that information?" Her question was simply a request for information, not an expression of sympathy.  
  
"I can detect heat or cold. I can tell you the exact temperature of our wine, know just by touching your hand that you do not have an illness indicating fever. But I cannot "feel" cold. I am not affected in the same way. I will never shiver in a snow storm or perspire from the heat of a blazing sun." She watched him in rapt fascination.  
  
"What else," she urged.  
  
"I cannot swim or father children, my appearance changes to simulate aging, but I will never grow old." He stopped as her eyes had gone wide.  
  
"Ok, those were conversation starters. One at a time, why can't you swim?" she asked, taking a bite of her dinner.  
  
"I have no buoyancy. If the water levels are above my head, I will sink to the bottom," he explained. (Authors note: I know that it was shown in Insurrection that Data could activate a floatation device, but I thought this idea was just too laughable to include here. So, I skipped it. )  
  
This seemed to disturb her. "I will remember not to invite you to the swimming meets on the ship. Are you afraid of water?"  
  
"No, but if immersed for a prolonged period of time it can penetrate my skin through my pores. It can have a detrimental effect on most of my systems, so I take every precaution to prevent being in that situation."  
  
She nodded, but looked lost in thought. "As for the fathering children, I was sure I read that you had a daughter who died some years ago. Did I misread that, sir?"  
  
"No, Lal was my daughter, but she was an android like myself. I was referring to an inability to procreate biologically."  
  
For some reason, colour now rose to her cheeks and she looked at her wineglass. "But you are capable of...umm. Of-"  
  
Realizing what she was trying to say, he nodded gently. "Yes, I am," he informed her, trying to keep his voice calm and unaffected. She still would not meet his eyes, but now had an embarrassed smile on her soft face. What was she thinking, he wondered. Could it be that she was entertaining the possibilities? Was it wrong for him to hope she was? Seven days, he mused. He had known her for only seven days and yet he was entertaining the possibilities. And this was not the first time.  
  
"Having children is not usually something captains want. Most don't marry either. Since there are so many ships in the fleet that now allow families, I don't understand why, but it remains a tendency," she observed.  
  
"Actually, that change has slowly had an effect. In the last ten years the number of married captains has increased by 18%," he told her, smiling.  
  
"Eighteen, huh? And that means how many exactly, as I am sure you know." She tipped her head to the side and looked at him expectantly.  
  
Oh, well, he thought. "Sixteen," he admitted reluctantly.  
  
She laughed. "Not a very impressive number yet. But I suppose being married in that situation is a lot to ask of someone," she said, thoughtfully.  
  
"To whom are you referring, the captain or his or her mate?" he asked.  
  
"Both, I guess. Hard for the captain to focus on being responsible for the lives under his command and still come home and try and be normal, and hard for her to be under his command and still create and maintain a closeness between them. Imaging the power struggle in that situation!" she offered, grinning. "What if your wife does something that you have to reprimand her for but you still have to go home to her? That would not be a fun evening," she laughed. Despite himself, he laughed too.  
  
Dinner completed, they disposed of the dishes, and moved to the living room to continue their conversation.  
  
Once they had taken their seats, she decided to change the subject. "Captain, would you-" her thought was interrupted by the firm voice of her commanding officer.  
  
"Teagan, I would like to make my request for you to address me by my name when we are alone a standing request." Teagan closed her mouth, her thought banished. She looked at him blankly for several seconds before trying again.  
  
"I have not wanted to make any assumptions. I know that in public, protocol demands that you be addressed properly," she began, her voice just above a whisper and full of uncertainty. "Protocol does demand very specific behavior."  
  
"Correct, it would not be appropriate for one to raise their voice to me in anger, to strike me, or-"  
  
"Or call you by your name in public," she concluded. He gave a slight nod. "There are certain lines which would have to be defined," she said hoping he understood to what she was referring.  
  
"I believe that we have defined them," and unknowing, he proceeded to step into a noose that would hang him until discovered. "Certain lines must never be crossed." He noted that Teagan's shoulders stiffened visible. She looked away from him and colour came to her cheeks, but drained from the rest of her. Suddenly she stood.  
  
"Yes, I understand. Well, it is getting late and I should rest before my return to the planet in the morning. Thank you for dinner," she could not bring herself to call him anything at this moment or even bare to look him in the face. She knew she had to escape before her voice broke and he saw how hard his proclamation had hit her.  
  
"If you wish, Good night, Teagan." She met his eyes for a split second before turning quickly towards the door.  
  
"Good night," she breathed, and walked stiffly from his quarters. 


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
The next morning it took Dr. Jewel two minutes to notice that something was wrong with Teagan, but three hours before he could get her alone an address the problem.  
  
"You have not spoken to anyone who did not speak to you first, little love. You were in a fine mood yesterday before you left with our illustrious captain last night. Can I safely assume he has something to do with your sullen eyes today?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it, Jewly," she told him, but could not manage the firm tone she was trying for.  
  
"What happened, Teagan. You know you can tell me anything," he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She was seated at a workstation and would not meet his eyes.  
  
"It was bad enough to live though once, I really don't want to dredge it up again!" her head was still down, but her tone was sharp and commanding. She did not feel ready to talk about it yet, even though she had not been able to think of much of anything else and it would not stay eight hours from dinnertime forever.  
  
"You may be able to get away with that with someone else, missy, but not me. If he mistreated you-" he began, a hard edge appearing in his normally smooth and soothing voice.  
  
"No, he did nothing...inappropriate. He made it clear that he would not approve of anything that could be considered inappropriate ever happening," she finally confessed. She had swiveled her chair towards him, but was staring at the floor.  
  
"I take it that means what I think it means?" he asked, still relieved that the captain had not harassed her. She nodded.  
  
"He wants me to call him by name when we have dinner in private, but after that he drew a little line in the sand," as she spoke she drew an imaginary line with her finger. "Never to be crossed." Dr. Jewel moved closer to embrace her and she rested her head against him.  
  
"So he wants to have you to himself, but he is not willing to commit to you? Not much of an offer, is it?" He asked after a moment.  
  
"He is a newly promoted captain. It may be all he can offer at this point," she said, hoping it was true, but then why had he used the word 'never'?  
  
"Tell him no, love. You deserve better that that. Who does he think he is to treat you this way?" but Teagan was shaking her head.  
  
"I can't," she said as though it took all the strength in the world to say the words.  
  
"Why the hell not?"  
  
"I agreed to his terms." Dr. Jewel looked stunned.  
  
"And what exactly are his terms, Teagan?" he demanded.  
  
"Dinner every night with him, with the exception of Fridays when we all get together. Thursdays I leave early or we get together earlier so I can meet with Ashton and the guys." Jewel shook his head in disbelief.  
  
"It sounds mid-evil, Teagan. What are you then? The pretty woman on his arm?"  
  
"You have no cause to be so incensed. He is not asking me to sleep with him; he just wants a friend. I am the one who asked him to sit down. I am still glad he did!" She had stood up, strengthened by sudden conviction. He searched her eyes.  
  
"I love you, Teagan and that means I don't want to see you hurt. Can you honestly tell me this does not hurt you?"  
  
"For now it does, but things may change. He may change his mind. I may change mine. The only thing I know is that when he comes to get me tonight I don't want you to say anything to him. Don't tell him anything, Jewly, I'm begging you." And she was.  
  
His eyes narrowed. "I can't let him hurt you and just stand by doing nothing."  
  
"Then help me. Help me wait. I thought about telling him no, I promise you. The thought of not being at his table for dinner tonight hurts much worse. I'm caught, Jewly. I understand your objections, but it is my life," she told him.  
  
"Have you ever noticed that people always use that excuse when they are about to make the biggest mistake of their lives?" At his words, she closed her eyes and turned away. He reached out and turned her back. "Alright, you win. I will remain silent...to him...for now, but I don't promise not to revisit this issue. I do love you, you foolish red head," he lifted her chin until she looked him in the eyes. A smile slowly lifted the sides of her mouth.  
  
"I love you too, Jewly," she said, and collapsed into his warm arms.  
The planet side lab was full when Teagan's communicator came to life with the voice of her captain. "Captain Data to Dr. Shayza." She tapped it.  
  
"Dr. Shayza here, Captain," she answered.  
  
"The discussions have ended for the day, Doctor. I should arrive in under twenty minutes," he left unsaid why he was coming, but then it wasn't necessary.  
  
"Understood, Captain. I will be ready to depart upon your arrival," there was a pause and she could almost see him wanting to say something else, but deciding against it.  
  
"Acknowledged, Doctor. Captain out."  
  
Nineteen minutes later she could feel his entrance before she heard or saw him. She had already met with her relief and was just answering one final question as the captain unique walk caught the attention of every person in the large room.  
  
Noting that all eyes were on him, the captain smiled pleasantly at them all, since 90% were of his crew. "I would like to thank the members of my crew present for their diligence in the last two days. Your efforts have greatly eased the tensions that were building on this planet. The progress you have made in eradicating the damage done has made the job of the diplomats much easier." Turning to look at Teagan and Dr. Jewel, He nodded at each of then.  
  
"I congratulate you Dr. Jewel and Dr. Shayza. You and your staffs have all but guaranteed the Repulse her first successful mission." Teagan found it difficult to tear her eyes away from the speaker, but she had to see the expression of Jewly's face. As she expected, it was tinged with pride. The captain's timing could not have been better. Looking over the rest of the faces in the room, she noted that they all wore similar expressions. Finally, she looked back at the captain, to see him looking expectantly at her. He gave her the briefest of nods and she moved to join him.  
  
Dr. Jewel watched her walk across the room and stand beside their captain, her eyes still aglow from the word of praise that he had just delivered to them all. Once she was in place the captain signaled the ship to beam the two of them up and in seconds, they were gone. As the shimmering of the transporter faded, Dr Jewel looked at the faces that surrounded him. He was stunned to see the expressions that played across most of their faces.  
  
It was approval.  
The pair arrived at the quarters belonging to Dr. Teagan Shayza and moved at once into her kitchen. She had used her authority to purloin the services of an available ensign to send him to a planet side market for the components of the meal she had planed. Realizing that the food would be used to prepare a dinner for his captain, the ensign had given the task his full attention and Teagan every respect. Not wanting to poison her captain or herself, she had taken every precaution to ensure that the food was not tainted.  
  
She had only just pulled out the ingredients for the meal and the utensils that she would use to prepare them, when that captain asked her if she would excuse him for a few minutes.  
  
"Is something wrong?" she asked as he made for the door.  
  
"No, I need to feed Stripes. She does not like being left alone for long periods of time. If I do not return soon she is liable to express her displeasure on the furniture," he explained with an apologetic shrug.  
  
"Wait, if you don't think it would be...crossing the line....why don't you just bring her back with you. I am preparing fish tonight and I'm sure she would prefer eating with us to sitting in that room alone, as large and tastefully decorated as it is, sir," she added quickly, trying not to sound to disrespectful. Unexpectedly, he just shook his head at her. He came back to stand next to her, looking intensely into her eyes.  
  
"I can see that this is going to be a point of contention between us," he said, with clear displeasure and yet still a hint of warmth in his yellow eyes.  
  
"Sir?" she said, clearly confused as to what she had said or done wrong.  
  
"What is my name, Teagan?" he asked her calmly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again. Meeting his gaze, she replied. "Data," she answered simply.  
  
"If you think it necessary, I could order you to call me by name." She now tilted her head to the side and gazed back at him with an amused glint in her golden eyes.  
  
"Now, when you speak to me like that you cause me to want to reply with a quick 'yes, sir!'" she smiled even wider when he grimaced at her. With a slight flush to her cheek, something that he was noting happened with increasing frequency, and a small laugh, she promised to try harder. He nodded and told her he would return promptly with a feline in his arms. Once he was gone, she instructed the computer to allow the captain entrance to her quarters upon his return. After a minute's consideration, she amended it to allow him permanent access. It was bold, she knew, but if she did not tell him, he would not guess. He would just assume that she had ordered it for the duration. It could mean that in the future it could mean that he would be able to catch her in the bath, but that could work out to her advantage as well.  
  
Oh, god. Listen to what you are thinking! Trying to trap and seduce your captain, she admonished herself. But she did not reverse the command to the computer.  
  
Stripes was very pleased with her dinner, and made sure that Teagan knew this fact. Sitting in the living area after dinner the woman sat with the cat in her lap, scratching her behind the ear. Data smiled at the vision. The day had been difficult, and the only thing that had made it bearable was the knowledge that his evening would be spent here in the company of this woman.  
  
He told her of how he was working towards improving his diplomatic skills and that with Starfleet's approval, had been asked to join the arbitration team in order to gain more experience. He had other experience in the past, but his new rank would grant him greater access and greater opportunities. Teagan listened intensely as he told her of his aspirations and what he had done thus far in pursuit of them.  
  
As difficult as the day had been, the evening was perfect. She even called him by name three times before it ended. He was loathe to leave when it was over, and she seemed just as reluctant to surrender Stripes to him so that he could return with the feline to his quarters. She followed him to the door and told him goodnight.  
  
"Are we going to have dinner in the lounge tomorrow?" she asked before he could move through the door.  
  
"I am not certain. I think I will leave that decision for tomorrow. I will inform you when the session ends," he decided.  
  
She smiled at this. "You looking to make sure no Romulans are sneaking up on me?" she asked, grinning. He returned her smile and nodded.  
The Captain received some confused glances as he made his way back to his quarters, but he fairly certain it was because of the bundle in his arms, not because of where he had been. He had the strongest feeling that his crew did not disapprove of his dinner plans owing to a scene that had played out in the transporter room this morning.  
  
Oddly the same man that had beamed Teagan and himself the previous evening had again been on duty this morning to beam the captain down to the planet. The man had greeted his captain with warmth when he had entered.  
  
"Good morning to you, Chief Denton. I do not recall your name being on the transporter room schedule for this morning." The captain said questioningly.  
  
"No, sir. I'm filling in for Ensign Grey. She was ill and I was happy to fill in for her," the man told him with a smile.  
  
"Commendable chief. I intend to see that just that kind of attitude is recognized and rewarded on my ship." With this, the eyes want wide with surprise.  
  
"Oh, I wasn't blowing my own horn, Captain. Ensign Grey covered a shift for me not long before we went on leave for refit. I meant I was happy to get the chance to repay her." The captain smiled at the chief, but shook his head.  
  
"You have not said anything to cause me to recant my original statement." The chief looked confused for only a moment before he realized the captain's meaning. Respect coloured the man's smile as he nodded his appreciation. Returning his nod, Data moved to climb the steps to the pad.  
  
"May I ask how Miss Teagan fares this morning, sir?" the chief asked innocently assuming that the captain would know.  
  
"I cannot tell you what I do not know, Chief. I can say that she was well when we parted after our dinner last evening." The captain was not sure if this was the best course of action, but he could not pretend that something he had only recently thought of was a reality. He also could not allow rumors to spread at a wrong word.  
  
The chief's eyes went white and he stammered out a quick apology, assuring the captain that he intended no offence.  
  
"I am not offended, Chief. You simply made a mistaken assumption. However it should be noted that should I hear anyone malign Miss Teagan's character, I would be much more than offended. Is that clear, Chief." Strangely, the man also gained an edge to his expression.  
  
"Yes, sir. I know Miss Teagan, sir. I would not be happy to hear someone speak ill of her. My son told me about her coming to sing for his class, so I came once myself. She has an enchanting voice." The man smiled at the memory, and the captain was in that moment envious of him. The captain had yet to hear Teagan sing.  
  
"Forgive me, chief, but I an overdue on the planet," Pulled out of his reverie, the chief apologized and promptly beamed his commanding officer down to the planet.  
Arriving in his quarters, Captain Data sat down on his couch and looked at the cat now in his lap. "I believe Teagan overfed you, Stripes." The cat looked up at him and meowed her reply. He grinned. Sometimes her responses were so well timed; it appeared that she understood what he said. He had once believed that Spot understood him but after experimentation, he came to the conclusion that she knew her name, the words dinner, play and no, even though she tended to ignore the last. She also knew even without seeing whether or not is was Data that entered their quarters and if he entered alone.  
  
Even though he knew that his beloved pets could not understand most of his words, he had long ago decided to disregard that fact and talk to them anyway.  
  
"I wish to hear her sing, Stripes. Will you get her to sing for me? You are a good kitty; she would listen if you asked her. Will you ask her to sing for us?" He had lifted her seemingly boneless form to look her in the eyes. Now he just nuzzled her face lovingly. Stripes only purred in response.  
As the next four days passed, Teagan noticed that her captain's emotional state seemed to be taking a decline. While he told her that progress was being made with bring the two factions back together, the other more practiced mediators were having problems keeping tempers from flaring and they themselves were showing sighs of fatigue. Teagan tried to sympathize, but decided against telling him that while he was unaffected by many things, the stress of this mission was not one of them.  
  
Instead, she talked him into walks in the arboretum, games of chess, playing with Stripes and anything else that she had the energy for after a long and tiring day herself. Dr. Jewel kept a close eye on her, but remained silent on the subject of the captain as he could see that Teagan was adjusting and seemed happy.  
  
After a total of nine days, the mission was finally completed. The factions had come together and had laid the groundwork for the reformation of their government. The mediators were thanked and dismissed. Teagan and Dr. Jewel had truly finished their major work days before, but had remained to help treat the sick with the cures that they had worked so hard to find.  
  
The planet's doctor's had copies of all the answers found by the Repulse's medical related teams and knew how to use them. Hopefully after all the damage was undone as best as could be now, the planet would have no further need of those answers.  
  
Teagan was very relieved to return to work in her own lab. She teased Apple of how lucky she had been to be able to remain aboard and coordinate with the planet instead of having to shuffle back and forth. Apple had just grinned and shot back with, "Sometimes lack of rank had its privileges, Doc.  
  
"Quite true, Lor. Quite true," Not surprisingly the captain came to mind at Lauralee's mention of rank. Although she tried not to kid herself by denying that it took very little to bring to mind the man with whom she spent every evening. Even when Friday had rolled around again, he had not allowed it to keep her from him and had joined the throng in her quarters. Yet he had left early claiming that he needed to check in with the bridge, but she had known better and had worried about him.  
  
He had not recovered from the stress of the mission even now, and last night had sniped at her when she had forgotten and referred to him by rank. She had turned very quickly on her heels and stood firmly before him.  
  
"I do not have an infallible memory, mister and if you are going to treat me in that manner, you will quickly find yourself dinning alone." She had not raised her voice, or even waited for a response. She had simply gone to get the chess set, as she had been about to do when he had made his misstep. The evening had proceeded normally, albeit quieter.  
  
Teagan sat in her office trying to decide what to do with him when Dr. Jewel rang for admittance. Once he had taken a seat she sighed and closed her eyes.  
  
"I take it there's trouble at the Captain's table?" he asked, the edge instantly returning to his voice.  
  
"Not between us, sort of, but something is eating at him and he won't tell me what it is. He's depressed, I think. He is sullen, quiet, less patient, and I have tried everything I can think of to jar him out of it, to no avail." Her expression showed that the captain was not the only one being affected by this. Teagan's eyes normally glowed, but not today. She looked tired and drawn; worry lines darkened her lovely face.  
  
"When did this start?" Dr. Jewel asked, gently, more worried about her than the man who held the center seat.  
  
"I really noticed it about four days into our first mission, but I think it got worse once we left. I can't understand it either; we completed the mission successfully. He even told me about how pleased StarFleet Command was with the large part that the Repulse played in the mission. He wanted and worked for a great first mission, he got it but you'd think that Command had really told him that it was a failure and his command was on the line."  
  
"Sounds like there is something he is not telling you. Of course it could be classified and he can't tell you," suggested Jewel.  
  
She nodded, slumping in her chair. "What am I going to do? He is fine for everyone else. I'm the only one who really sees what's going on."  
  
"Are you sure it's not you then?" he asked.  
  
"Actually, I have thought of it, but I don't think that's it. Even if he won't go beyond friendship with me, he does trust me and I thank I am the one who he relaxes with." She growled with frustration.  
  
Jewel shook his head at her, "Not even two weeks and he has you taking care of him like you were his wife or something strangely resembling that but without the fringe benefits." Teagan blushed.  
  
"I get some fringe," she objected.  
  
"Like what?" Jewel asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"We take walks arm in arm to the arboretum and I'm getting better at chess. I getting so close to his cat, it's almost like she belongs to both of us. I have the-"  
  
"You know you're in love with him, Teagan?" he broke in. She tried to smile.  
  
"Yes. I know." She looked him squarely in the eyes. "I told you I was caught. That hasn't changed. I intend to do my best to stand with my toes up against the line that he's drawn for me until the day he decides to erase it. I know you think I'm letting him have whatever he wants and I get nothing, but that isn't true. He is very gentle with me. He's sweet, thoughtful, and funny. When we walk arm and arm through the corridors and pass people, he looks at them as though he's trying to find the smallest hint of disapproval aimed towards me. If he sees any, he narrows his eyes at them and they know never to do that again.  
  
"I know that by now the whole ship knows who he is with every evening. We don't hide. We eat at least half the time in the lounge. I am not a fool, Jewly; I know that most if not all assume we are lovers. But no one harasses me. I guess since he's the captain, they are afraid of incurring his wrath," she grinned at the thought. After a silent moment, she looked back at Jewel.  
  
"Yes, I am in love with him. Our relationship may not be all I want, but he is." The older doctor considered this for a time, just staring at her. He had always hoped that she would find someone and eventually marry him. He could see her with five or six children trailing after her and a loving husband who knew just how lucky he was to have her. This was no where near what he had expected.  
  
"Maybe he needs a bigger distraction, something to look forward to?" he said, resigning himself for the present. Her eyes found some of their former glow as she considered this.  
  
"Yes, that could work. And I think this would be a good job for our party girl, Lauralee," she stood up and came to take hold of his hand. Giving it a squeeze, she smiled sweetly down at him. "Thanks for not saying it, Jewly," she told him. He sighed, but nodded.  
  
Lauralee took to the subtle suggestion that the crew needed a distraction like a bee to honey. "A dance!" Lauralee exclaimed, as the women were enjoying a nice lunch in the lounge. Teagan nodded, thinking that that would be perfect.  
  
"Yes, a formal ball. We could all dress in the old-time fashions. The fancy dresses and the men could-"  
  
"Oh no, no, no Doc. I don't think anybody wants a formal shindig. They want to cut loose and have fun. We need movin' music and lots of wine and men and song,"  
  
"I thought the saying was 'wine, women and song'?" Teagan corrected, but Lauralee just dissolved into laughter.  
  
"Do I look like I want a woman? Funny, but I thought that the captain was a man, well male anyway...so does that leave anyone at this table wanting a woman?" Lauralee answered, heavy into sarcasm. Teagan just rolled her eyes at the outrageousness of the woman. "Hey, I know! You and Ashton can get with the guys and play. Will the captain let you come early, Doc? Surely he can eat one dinner by himself," Teagan looked aghast at her.  
  
"What? I don't get to eat? He does not require the food, but I do. You should watch what you say, Lor. You make it sound as though I am babysitting our captain, and it doesn't sound very respectful."  
  
Lauralee frowned and shook her head at Teagan. "Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to.well, will you be able to come and sing?" Teagan sighed inwardly. This had not been what she wanted. She knew the captain would be more at ease with a more traditional selection of music. The music that she and her friends played was still called the same thing that it had been for hundreds of years...rock and roll. Now Lauralee was even suggesting that she ask her to let her break their custom of dinning together every evening.  
  
Instead of calming him, this would tick him off! He captain preferred order. Aboard a starship, that was hard to come by. Teagan felt that for the captain, their time together was the only constant he had. Having taken command of a ship on which most of the crew already knew each other, and having brought no one with him, it had been more difficult for him to assimilate. He had no one to talk to, no one who knew him and understood how frustrating this could be.  
  
This was the void that Teagan felt she filled, and why he had most likely taken to her so quickly. He had no one and she was better then being completely alone. Rumors and gossip surely had not been in his plan for taking on command for the first time. Romance had definitely not been what he had wanted. He would allow her a certain closeness, but only to a point. There were evenings when they had been saying goodnight that she had been certain he was about to lean closer to kiss her. But at the last moment he would just smile and turn to go.  
  
"I will see if we can have dinner early on that evening, Lauralee. I would not want to upset the captain's routine," Teagan answered finally. This caused Lauralee to choke on laughter.  
  
"Oh god no, we would not want to do that," sarcastic to the last.  
Back in the lab, Teagan was disappointed that her maneuvering had not working out like she had hoped. Lauralee however, was beside herself with energy and excitement. She had already contacted Ashton who had taken to the idea at once. Playing before their small intimate group each week was fun, but a crowd would be a blast for a change. An hour after lunch, Teagan was talking to one of her lieutenants when the door opened and Captain Data walked smoothly into the room. He greeted everyone in turn, but his eyes locked at once with hers and remained there.  
  
"Captain," she greeted him with a nod as he stood before her. His eyes were warm and his gaze meaningful.  
  
"Dr. Shayza. May I speak with you in your office for a moment?" he asked her, his voice soft and pleasant.  
  
"Certainly, sir." She led the way and he followed just a step behind her. It seemed as though all of her staff were exchanging knowing glances as the door closed behind them.  
  
"It has been a while since you've come to visit me here, sir. Is there a problem?" she stood in front of him, but before answering, he took a step closer to her and took hold of a single finger, holding it lightly between two of his.  
  
"We are alone, Teagan, and nothing is wrong, I just wanted to see you." She looked into his shining yellow orbs and wanted so much for him to just hold her in his arms.  
  
"I'm relieved. A visit from one's captain during one's shift could mean trouble. So why have you graced me with your presence?" he raised a questioning eyebrow at her.  
  
"Am I that much a nuisance to you, Teagan?" he asked, amusement in his eyes, but concern as well.  
  
"Yes Captain, you are very high maintenance and I don't mean the kind of maintenance that would require a diagnostic afterwards. You require a large percentage of my energy and it seems as though the percentage increases on a daily basis. You cause me to fall into bed ever night so exhausted that I sleep until only minutes before I'm due to report for duty. I believe I'm going to have to clone myself if you become any more demanding." She delivered this statement at first with such a serious expression on her face that he had fallen for it, and his eyes had gone wide with shock. As she had continued, he realized that she was teasing him and he began to shake his head at her.  
  
"I think it would be easier to replicate me that to duplicate you," he said flatly.  
  
Now her eyes when wide, "You are trying to kill me, aren't you. I was exaggerating, but only some," she said, amusement and playful teasing think in her words. "Why are you here? Is something going on?" He shook his head.  
  
"No, I just wanted to see you," suddenly the haunted shadow returned to his eyes. "Tell me truthfully, Teagan. Am I a bother to you?" The look in his eyes pulled at her heart so hard, she had to do something to remove it. Reaching up, she put her hand flat on his chest, her eyes full of compassion. To her surprise, he put his own hand over hers. They stood there looking at each other for over a minute before she spoke.  
  
"We are going to talk tonight, sir," she began, all trace of foolishness gone from her voice and expression.  
  
He looked alarmed. "I am not sure I like the sound of that."  
  
"Perhaps, but it is past time for you to tell me what is wrong. You have been brooding over something for a week now or more. I know there are things that a captain has to keep confidential and that I don't have anything nearing your clearance, but there has got to be some part of it you can tell me. I'm worried about you." This had not been what he expected, but it was not bad. She was correct. He was troubled and had apparently done a poor job of concealing it from her.  
  
"I am sorry that I have been a-" he began  
  
"No, stop. I just want you to be happy, I don't want to add to your reasons to be upset. Promise me you will talk to me tonight." Her eyes seemed to penetrate into him. The feel of her hand on his chest was having an odd effect on him. She had moved closer as she spoke and now stood with her chest almost touching his. His feelings for her had not changed and even though he was bothered by something he had not shared, these feelings had continued to grow stronger every day.  
  
Slowly he pulled her hand down and with his other arm, reached around her, pulling her in the final inches to rest against him. She moved as he hoped and lay her head against him, her own arms hesitantly wrapping around him. He suppressed a gasp at the serge of emotion that overtook him. His other arm when around her and he closed his eyes, swept away by the feelings that flooded him.  
  
"I will do as you ask Teagan," he promised her, his voice, a whisper. She did not reply. She did not move either and he was overjoyed by this. He never wanted to move from this embrace. When had it happened? When had she taken what ever he could call his heart, from him? All the words that were normally used to describe this feeling seemed vastly inadequate. At best, they seemed cliché, at the worst resembling an insult to the intensity and power of this feeling.  
  
All at once Teagan seemed to remember herself and slowly she pulled herself from his embrace. He was forced to return to reality and the fact that she did not seem comfortable if he treated her in a way that deviated greatly from the way he could treat her in public. He realized that as long as the embrace had signified a friend offering support to another friend, that she had been fine, but as he lingered, it had crossed over into something more. Here Teagan would not go. The more time they spent together, the closer they became, but Data could see very clearly now that this closeness was to have it's limits. He had hoped that if he took their relationship slowly, he would not find a way to inadvertently ruin what he thought they shared.  
  
As she moved slowly away, she did not even look at him. Her uneasiness was obvious. She came to stand at the edge of her desk, reaching out for it as though in need of the support. For a moment, Data wondered if he had been mistaken when he had told her, days ago, that he could never feel cold. His emotions seemed to be effecting his entire body. His chest in particular was experiencing a disagreeable sensation that almost convinced him that some unknown force was siphoning all of his fluids out of him, starting with his chest. It was a horrible feeling.  
  
"Remind me, will you? There is also something that I need to ask you tonight," she asked, her voice sounded odd, but he could not define what was different.  
  
"If it is urgent, you can ask now," he assured her.  
  
"No, not really important at all, just a request. It'll keep until later, Captain." She turned back now, but her progress was so gradual, it appeared as though she was fighting an opposing force in order to turn.  
  
"Very well, Miss Teagan. I shall remind you," he promised. She nodded, looking past him to the door.  
  
"I should return to duty now, sir," she said, still avoiding his eyes.  
  
"I take it I have been dismissed." His words sounded flat even to him, though it had been an attempt at levity.  
  
"I would never knowingly overstep myself so, Captain," she began and finally met his eyes. "There are, after all, lines that must never be crossed." Something in her tone and words had an enigmatic quality, but he was not given the opportunity to question her, as she walked decisively past him and back into the lab. He had no choice but to follow.  
All eyes were on them once they returned to view. Lt. Apple stood with Lt. Tulok and was surprised to see that even this Vulcan was now watching the captain and the Doc return from their private meeting in Doc's office. Lauralee found herself watching not the ship's most noted couple, but her Vulcan teammate.  
  
"I thought Vulcan's didn't care about things as emotional as inner-ship romances?" she whispered to him. Tulok did not move or even look at her for a second. He continued to stare intensely at the interplay between Teagan and the captain as they said a public goodbye and parted. Tulok remained silent until the captain exited the room, and kept his gaze fixed on Doc.  
  
"You are inaccurate in your statement, Lt. Apple. While Vulcan's long ago realized that purging ourselves of our emotions was the most logical course of action in order to survive, we never the less find the emotional tendencies of other races fascinating."  
  
"So, what do you find fascinating about Doc's and the Captain's romance?" she asked, intrigued. Finally, he looked at her.  
  
"While I give little or no credence to the rumors and gossip that has saturated conversation since the captain took command, my superior hearing had forced me to hear more that I would care to hear." He expression came so close to distaste, that Apple almost laughed.  
  
"And?" she prodded.  
  
"It seems to be the prevailing belief that the captain and Dr. Shayza are intimately involved."  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, that's what everyone thinks with few exceptions, I guess. What's your point?" She was not sure she really wanted to talk about this, as Teagan was her best friend, but this was just to good to miss.  
  
"In my observations of humanoid interpersonal relationships, if intimate contact has taken place and is successful, it continues. Is this normally correct?" he asked.  
  
"If that mouth full meant that if they liked it, they keep doing it, yeah."  
  
"It has also been my observation that if a couple is involved in this manner, if they come in contact with each other for a brief interval, they will indulge in some sort of contact if circumstances permit."  
  
"Translation, they hold hands or kiss." She corrected, becoming impatient for the point.  
  
"Correct," he said, and then remained silent.  
  
"What is the point, Tulok?" He turned to look at her as though she was missing the most obvious fact in existence.  
  
"The captain and Dr. Shayza were alone in her office for exactly twelve minutes and thirty nine seconds."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Observe Dr. Shayza. Her lips betray no signs that recent pressure has been applied. There is no discoloration of the surrounding tissue. Her cheeks are not flushed. I submit that Dr. Shayza has not been kissed," the Vulcan concluded, flatly.  
  
With her jaw slightly dropped, Lauralee looked quickly back at Teagan. He was right! Lauralee knew what a woman looked like after a man kissed her and it was just as Tulok had described. Her lips would be puffy, the area around them would be red or pink depending on how much, and how long the kissing had lasted.  
  
She also knew Teagan. If she and the captain were in the habit of kissing, the red head would not have let this opportunity pass without making the most of it. Did this mean that all of them were wrong? Teagan refused to discuss her time with the captain in any detail. He was nice, funny, enjoyable to be with, was all she would really say. She never insisted that they were just friends, but she never hinted that there was more than that between them either. Lauralee had no idea what this meant, but for some reason, it gave her a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. 


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Teagan left the lab early so that she would have enough time to collect herself during a soak in a tub full of hot water and a mountain of bubbles. The events of this afternoon still caused her to shake if she thought too much about it. He had been so troubled lately that she was sure her forcing the issue had made him feel in need of the consolation that he had sought in her arms. While the experience had been innocent and comforting for both of them, at first, she had realized that as they lingered her heart was breaking. She wanted to tell him how she felt. She wanted him...no needed him to kiss her and say that he shared her feelings. But that just was not going to happen. Or at least not now.  
  
The long bath helped and she felt better able to handle what ever the captain threw at her this evening. She did not, however, feel like putting on her uniform again, so she threw on a loose fitting top and comfortable pants. They were very form fitting, but so was her uniform, so that did not seem to matter. Pulling her hair back in a clip, she exited her quarters and made her way to the captain's.  
  
He was sitting on his couch with Stripes in his lap when she arrived. He had a PADD in his hand, but put it on the table at her entrance.  
  
"Hi," he said. It had been something she had encouraged him to try saying more often when circumstances permitted. His 'greetings' had caused her to tease him, so he tried to break the habit and use the less formal salutation, at least with her.  
  
"Hi, am I early? You're working?" she said, not moving from the door. Stripes jumped from his lap and came to greet Teagan.  
  
"No, you are not early," he said standing. You can never be too early, he thought but could not say. Teagan picked Stripes up and cuddled her, moving to stand closer to him.  
  
"I want to talk now, before we have dinner," she announced, looking him in the eyes. Something about the way that she got straight to the point amused and pleased him. "What has been bothering you?"  
  
This subject was still going to be difficult to talk about. He motioned for her to take a seat beside him and as soon as they were seated, began to tell her about their first mission from his view.  
  
"How can you be upset about that? The mission was a success, Cap- Data. You even showed me the communiqué you received from StarFleet command commending the Repulse on a great first mission under your command," he nodded.  
  
"Yes, the ship as a whole preformed very well, but that was mostly do to the efforts of you, Dr. Jewel and both of your staffs. My part in the mission was not as well received," this proclamation stunned her.  
  
"That can't be. How can that be? Tell me what makes you think that?" she said utterly confused.  
  
"The diplomatic team was lead by Admiral Ross. He has twenty five years experience in the field and as the highest ranking officer, he would be the one to evaluate the performance of his subordinates."  
  
"Including you," she finished. He nodded. She took a deep breath, knowing this was the crux of the problem. "What was his evaluation?"  
  
"'Adequate'," he said simply, disappointment apparent in his yellow eyes. She looked confused again. She had kicked off her shoes as he told her the details, and now tucked her bare feet under her.  
  
"Isn't that better then inadequate?" she asked, carefully. He was not pleased.  
  
"I do not care to be adequate in anything though there are areas that I have been forced to admit to a limitation. If I am to pursue diplomacy as a career path, adequate is not acceptable."  
  
"So, now you think that after one bad review you should change your career path?" she asked. He looked inconsolable. "Wait, if I remember this right, you started to get edgy even before the mission ended. You would not have gotten the review until it was over. So why were you upset before?" He looked like he did not want to answer.  
  
"I asked the Admiral to evaluate my performance before we had completed the mission," he said, like it was a shameful admission.  
  
"And what did he say, word for word." She knew he could tell her.  
  
"'Adequate.' Just that. I said, 'Admiral Ross, will you evaluate my performance thus far in the mission and he looked at me with no expression and said 'Adequate.' Then he walked away." This struck Teagan as very rude and abrupt, but she did not know the Admiral. The scene that he had just relayed did not make her eager to change that fact.  
  
"Is it classified? Your review?"  
  
"Not to me," he said.  
  
"It's on that PADD, isn't it?" she asked him, suddenly realizing that it must have been. He nodded, reluctantly. She did not want to have to ask him for it, so she just looked at him. He looked away, thinking for a count of three and then picked up the PADD from the table and handed it to her.  
  
There was very little that he had left out, she saw. The Admiral was obviously a man of few words. She stomach started to hurt as she scanned the short report, but her mind began to wander as it did when she entered her problem solving frame of mind and a thought occurred to her.  
  
"Um, what was his evaluation of the other members of the team?" He looked confused. Raising his eyebrows, he shook his head.  
  
"I do not know. I saw no reason to find out. Why?" Teagan looked back at the PADD, her mind racing.  
  
"Would it require clearance codes to access?" she asked.  
  
"Mine should be...adequate." He said ironically. She sighed and handed him the PADD.  
  
"Put them in and then give it back, I won't look." He shook his head at her, wondering what this would accomplish, but did as she asked. She grinned when he handed the PADD back to her. Inputting the commands as fast as she could, her smile widened. As she went through the reviews of the four other team members written by the Admiral, she had to suppress a shout of triumph and then a fit of laughter. After she had scanned them all, she instructed the PADD to reset back to the first and handed it to him. He looked as though he was questioning her sanity, but she just smiled.  
  
"Look at them, Captain. Every one of them." Since he could read at a much greater speed than she could this was accomplished very quickly. Seconds later, he lowered the PADD, completely stunned.  
  
"They are all identical," he said, struck with disbelief. He had been convinced that he had failed utterly in this task, and all along, it had been that the Admiral was just not good with a compliment for his subordinates. Perhaps the man had spent too much time with Vulcans and disliked wordiness.  
  
Teagan watched as the captain worked this through. She did not wait long. After a moment she pulled the PADD gently from his grasp and despite knowing that it would eventually bother him, threw it dramatically across the room.  
  
"I want you to promise me something," she said reaching over and clasping his hand. He looked as her expectantly. "Next time something like this bothers you, don't make me drag it out of you," He grinned, embarrassed that he had spent so much time distraught over a perceived failure that had never existed.  
  
"I believe that would be a wise course of action. I promise," She chuckled and stood. Still holding his hand, she tugged on him in an attempt to get him to stand. As she pulled, her v-neck top slipped slowly down one side, revealing the skin of her left shoulder. His eyes were drawn by the delicate downward fall of the garment, but once revealed his eyes gravitate towards this area of her body. Her skin was flawless except for a single beauty mark just at the curve of her shoulder.  
  
She could not help but notice his gaze and gave him a concerned expression. He looked quickly back to her face.  
  
"Is it supposed to do that?" he asked, knowing he could not pretend that he had not noticed. She released him and pushed it back up.  
  
"Well, yes. I can usually keep it in place, but it is made to do that at times. I wore it because it is comfortable, though. If you think it's inappropriate I can change," she said trying not to loose her cool. He came to a stand beside her.  
  
"No, I was simply surprised to see...it fall. Did you wish to have dinner now, or speak to me about that other matter that you asked me to remind you of?" She turned and led the way to the replicator, as he always let her choose their meals now, even when they ate in the lounge.  
  
"I'll tell you about that during dinner," she said and proceeded to order it.  
  
Once they were seated, she told him that the crew wanted permission to have a dance on Saturday in the lounge.  
  
"You need not go though me for something of this nature. Commander Brent would be the proper person to with whom to speak."  
  
She shook her head. "Not in this case, I think. Lauralee is planning the dance and she wants me to come with Ashton and the others to play the music."  
  
He looked at her wondering how this was something that she needed to tell him. "This sounds like something you would enjoy. If you believe that I would have cause to object, I cannot see why."  
  
"You will. It is supposed to begin around 1800 hours," she said, letting this sink in. With the captain, it never took long.  
  
"Dinner time," he said, almost to himself. She nodded. "What kind of music will you be playing?" he had not asked before, as he wanted to hear her sing, but believed if he asked to come to her Thursday night meetings she may feel that he was invading too much of her life.  
  
"I don't think you will like it. It's fast and loud. It's called rock, or rock and roll. I love it, but I don't think it's to your taste." He had thought that if he could at least dine in the same room while she sung that he could consider their streak of consecutive evenings together unbroken, but she could be right about the music. When he met her eyes, he tried not to look as disappointed as he felt. But she saw it none the less.  
  
"It would only be the one evening. You could spend that time playing your own music, or harassing your officers on the bridge, or you could come listen for a little while. We could try and play something a little less....well quieter while you were there." She hoped she could keep him from becoming upset by this, since her whole goal for the evening and the dance had been to pull him out from under the gray cloud he had been under for the last week. Success had been achieved sooner than she had been expecting, but if this plunged him right back in; she was going to scream.  
  
"I am sure I can find something to do, Teagan. I have been doing so for all of my life, prior to taking command of this vessel. I am certain I have not forgotten how," he assured her. She believed he could and would find something to do, but she knew he would not like it one bit. Somehow, in the short span of three weeks, their little tradition had become very important to him. He did not want anything but friendship from her, but he seemed to need the time to not be the captain, and just be himself with someone each day.  
  
"Of that I have no doubt," she said quietly. He tilted his head to the side, something different appearing in his eyes.  
  
"You simply cannot do it, can you?" he asked, amused.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Call me by name. You avoid calling me anything when we are alone, but I can see you almost say 'sir' or 'captain'." She sighed and rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"You are high maintenance! I know that you are able to adjust because you can't forget and all, but I have not been so blessed. You call me 'Doctor' in front of my staff, Miss Teagan in causal public situations, and just Teagan here. I only have two choices so it should be easier, but I am sure that I am setting myself up to call you by name at the wrong time and I refuse to let that happen. I promise to try, but you must promise to show a little mercy for a very fallible human. If I forget you have to stop jumping down my throat!" She also had amusement in her golden eyes, but he still looked back at her indignantly.  
  
"I have never raised my voice to you, and I do not believe I would ever have cause to do so." She laughed at this.  
  
"Give me some more time, I'll give you cause," she told him sounding flippant, but looking rather serious. "Are you going to be ok with Saturday....Data?" she asked emphasizing his name. He laughed at the name part of her sentence.  
  
"I am sure I will survive," he told her, looking droll.  
  
"You gonna come for at least a little bit? You have mentioned that you enjoy dancing and if you don't think it would cause much of a stir, I would like to find out how proficient you are at that," her eyes showed just how much she was teasing him. It was one of the reasons he enjoyed his time with her so much. She was the only one on the ship who did tease him. She had made him feel comfortable enough to tease her the very first time they had dined together and now it seemed to run rampant between them.  
  
"I believe that is a challenge," he said lifting an eyebrow. She grinned.  
  
"Oh, I would never challenge the word of my captain," she said giggling. He narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
"Somehow, I do not believe you," he replied, and she laughed harder.  
  
"Are you saying that I do not show you the proper respect, Captain?" she said, now giving emphasis to his rank as she said it.  
  
"Outside of this room, yes. Inside it or in your quarters, no." He tried very hard to keep his face devoid of expression. She put her hand on her hips, her golden eyes gaining a fiery quality.  
  
"You better be teasing me or..." the expression on her face faded in addition to a lot of her colour as her inspection of his face revealed no trace of humor. Slowly he smiled; his yellow eyes twinkled at her. The blaze came quickly back to her eyes. "I have a good mind to pour my wine right over your head!" she said threateningly.  
  
"That would not be very respectful," he cautioned, his eyes gleaming with mirth.  
  
She covered her face with her hands and sighed. Looking up again she shook a finger at him. "You know, this whole thing is really your fault," she informed him. His expression was now indignant.  
  
"How?" he asked. She grinned.  
  
"I suggested to Lauralee that the crew, and I had you in mind, needed a diversion. She came up with the idea of a dance, I suggested a ball type affair and she threw that right out and turned it into a rip-roaring party. I had this in mind to cheer you up and it backfired. But now we're stuck. But still, it was all your fault for not telling me what was eating you sooner." She shook her finger at him again. He shrugged.  
  
"I have learned from that mistake. And I see that I am to now be punished for my poor judgement." He had not meant to say that, but he found himself saying things he would not normally say around her. He laughed more with her than with anyone else on the ship. While this might be due to the fact that he was still getting to know his crew and they were getting to know him, he doubted that he was going to find any other member of his crew with whom he felt as at ease.  
  
Still, he must make a greater effort not to say things that would upset her, as her efforts had been intended to make him feel better. This also astounded him. Someone had planned a ship-wide event whose true purpose had been to please him. He had been the guest of honor at 'birthday' parties, or the going away party that had been throw when he was promoted recently, along with many others. But in each instance, it had been a few friends, not the whole ship. Of course, the only one who would have known the reason for the event was Teagan, but that was enough.  
  
"As you have reminded me, you are capable of forgetting. Forget I said that," he told her. The look in her eyes showed him that she was not going to forget.  
  
"If you want we can-"  
  
"Teagan. Go to your party, sing and have a good time. I will be fine. I will try to not be so high maintenance," wrong thing to say again, he told himself.  
  
"I was-" he cut her off again.  
  
"I am not saying what I intend to this evening. Perhaps I have not overcome my tendency to babble as well as I once believed." He rose from his seat. They were both finished with dinner, so he held out his hand to her. Looking into his regretful eyes. "I will attend to the dishes later. We should take a walk."  
  
"The arboretum has not seen us in three days. Too long?" she asked. He nodded. She tried to stop the queasiness in her stomach as she put her hand in his. "Wait, I want you to listen to a song first. It's one like we will play Saturday. If you can stand it, maybe you will not feel like you should not come." He started to deny that he did not intend to at least come briefly, but she held up a hand. "My turn. Don't even try and convince me otherwise. You are not looking forward to it." She turned away and stood, considering for a moment.  
  
"Computer, play the song 'Turn the beat around' original recording." The computer complied and though Teagan found it impossible not to at least tap her toes, Data did not look impressed. She sighed and told the computer to stop.  
  
"You hate it," she concluded. He looked very regretful, but something in his eyes told her that he would say something to try and make her feel better.  
  
"Perhaps it is an acquired taste," he said gently. She laughed. When he said things like this, it made her want to hug him fiercely. She thought back to this afternoon and the moment she had spent in him arms. She could not let him know how wonderful it had been for her to be there. He was like no one she had ever met before and falling for him had taken her by surprise, but caught as she was, she could not let him know. Still maybe she could find some way to cause him to hold her again. It had been so earth shattering in its effect on her. She failed to suppress a stutter at the thought.  
  
"Come anyway. I promise we will play softer selections while you are there." Even as she made this promise, she groaned inwardly at the thought that most of the quieter songs would be ballads.  
  
"I will try." He said and pointed towards the door.  
  
"Ok, ok. Arboretum, here we come. You sure it's not going to drive you crazy to have dirty dishes on the table?" she asked, glancing back. He did not look.  
  
"I will see to it later," he said and capturing her hand, led her swiftly from his quarters. She giggled, but came as he directed.  
  
Once in the corridor, she took his arm instead knowing this would be less likely to turn any heads. The whole ship already knew about their dinners, but holding hands may cause the gossip to begin, again.  
  
"You know, for a man who does not require sustenance, you eat a lot. You mentioned having breakfast with Commander Brent, how often does that happen," she asked as they walked at a leisurely pace.  
  
"So far, three times. He eats, I had some tea to look sociable."  
  
"You have lunch with anybody?" he glanced at her, knowing where this was going.  
  
"On occasion, but only for meetings that take place at that time of day. I do not eat during them. It is easier to speak when one's mouth is not otherwise occupied." She grinned at this.  
  
"So, that means you only eat one meal a day. Wish I could manage that. Lauralee and I having lunch together can be hard sometimes. She can eat anything and never gain a gram. I, however need more than walks in the arboretum to keep from blowing up like a balloon."  
  
"You are exaggerating, Miss Teagan," he said, as they were passing others in the corridor. She held up two fingers and inch apart. He noticed, with alarm that her hand was shaking. He had seen her nervous before and shaking, but he sensed that this was different.  
  
"Just be glad that you don't have to worry about exercise, Captain. If you ate three meals the size of what you eat when...we are together, you would have to worry soon."  
  
"I take it that you believe there are benefits to being an artificial life form," he said, paying more attention to the physical state of the woman on his arm.  
  
"Don't even try to convince me out of it, either. You are never going to have to worry about too much or too little food-"  
  
"Not true, Miss Teagan. I do require the ingestion of a...very bad tasting substance at least once a month." He made a face as though recalling the flavor of said substance.  
  
"Well, you don't have to worry much. No need for exercise, you don't have to think about getting all old and wrinkled one day. I get to look forward to looking like a prune and having my hair turn gray." He smiled; he had found himself thinking that he looked forward to being there to see that happen. Hoping to be there and seeing it happen...  
  
"I have considered having some gray added to my hair to give the appearance of age. I am 52 years old and-"  
  
"Can I place my vote on that one, sir?" she said shaking her head slowly. He grinned.  
  
"I have also thought that yellow eyes look too-"  
  
"No! I mean please don't change your eyes, Captain. I really like those sunshine like yellow orbs." She had stopped walking and looked earnestly into the very eyes she was referring to. He was surprised by this as he had always believed his eyes to be his most artificial looking feature.  
  
"Perhaps I will keep them, if you object that strongly." She looked nervous now. Her face grew pale and as he looked down at her, she seemed to be moving away...in a downward direction.  
  
"Sunshine," she said in a breathy voice. She was falling, he realized. He grabbed her before she could hit the deck. As he lowered her gently to the floor, he heard a female gasp and two pairs of footsteps coming closer.  
  
"Captain, can I help, sir?" Lt. Rimer said, rushing over.  
  
"I am not sure, Lieutenant." The captain said as he made certain Teagan was still breathing and her heart was beating. The woman, who he saw out of the corner of his eye, was ensign Destizes, kneeled down beside them as well.  
  
"What happened to Miss Teagan, sir?" she asked, sounding very shaken.  
  
"I am uncertain. I had noticed her hands shaking, but had not expected her to collapse," Having determined that Teagan was in no imminent danger, he touched his communicator to hail the chief medical officer. He scooped her up in his arms and began moving quickly towards sickbay as he spoke to Dr. Jewel.  
  
"Dr. Shayza just collapsed. I am en route to sickbay with her now."  
  
"Do you know the cause of her collapse, Captain?" the voice of Dr. Jewel asked.  
  
"Unknown at this time, Doctor. She was shaking, but before I could question her regarding it, she lost all colour in her face and fainted. Her respiration and pulse are strong, but she remains unconscious," he stated, his voice firm and not even hinting at the panic he was feeling. No time for that now. He switched his emotion chip off and moved as quickly as he could safely go to sickbay.  
  
Dr. Jewel directed the captain to place Teagan on the nearest bio-bed as soon as he saw the man enter with the motionless form in his arms. Her colour was still bad, he thought as the captain gently deposited her on the bed and the sensors came to life. He got right to work and assumed that the captain would just leave. He was mistaken in this assumption.  
  
The captain stood out of the way, but close enough to be able to see everything that was happening. The android's stare was intense, but his face was expressionless. Jewel hoped he would just leave on his own, but after ten minutes, it was clear that the captain had no intention of moving.  
  
Teagan was moved to a bed in the back corner of sickbay where she could rest in seclusion, if the captain ever left. When Dr. Jewel ordered the two orderlies to move Teagan, he thought for a moment the captain was going to jump across the room and insist on helping. Instead he followed just behind the orderlies and remained in the room as Teagan was settled. She was still unconscious and would stay that way, as Dr. Jewel had put her into a coma to keep her under and help her to fight the toxins that she had somehow been exposed to during their time on the warring planet.  
  
As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to have to question the captain regarding Teagan's evening meals in order to discover when exposure took place. The doctor gave his instructions to the nurse and looked up to see that Captain Data had not moved an inch, remaining near the wall and staring fixedly at Teagan. Worry was apparent in his strange coloured eyes.  
  
"Captain, will you join me in my office for a moment, please. I would like to ask you a few questions." Dr. Jewel had hoped to be able to say this after the nurse left, but she was running her checks and Jewel wanted to get the captain out of her way. No, he was not in the way he just wanted to get him out of the room.  
  
The nurse looked up to see the captain come to life again and meet Dr. Jewel's eyes. He gave the doctor a quick nod, but before leaving, his eyes went back to the woman unconscious in the bed. The look in his eyes was too much for Nurse Avery, who was one of the most compassionate nurses he had ever had. She managed to catch the captain's eyes as he turned to follow.  
  
"She'll be just fine, sir. We know what's wrong and just how to fight it," she assured him and smiled. The captain tried to smile back, but was not as successful.  
  
"Thank you, Nurse Avery. I have no doubt that Miss Teagan is in the finest hands," he replied and followed the doctor out.  
  
In Dr. Jewel's office, the captain took a seat only after the doctor asked him to, and waited silently for the older man to give him reason to speak.  
  
"I need to ask if you are aware of any time that Tea- Dr. Shayza may have consumed any food stuff from the planet during our stay there?" His tone was no non-sense, but having to ask this man about time he spent alone with Teagan galled him. He still did not trust the mans motives as far as Teagan was concerned and the fact that she had been with him twice when she had need medical attention struck the doctor as a bad omen.  
  
"I am. The second evening she prepared a meal consisting of items that she had had purchased from the planet. I was not aware of this until the following day, but she assured me that the foods had been checked for contamination," the captain did not look pleased at the memory. "We gave some of this meal to my cat," the captain mentioned, wondering if he was going to have a second casualty today.  
  
"I'll send a nurse to check the beast. You should have made sure that this did not happen. You are responsible for Teagan being here, Captain," Jewel accused, knowing that his tone and words were bordering on insubordination. The captain did not react as he expected him to, though.  
  
"As captain, I am ultimately responsible for everything that happens aboard my ship, Doctor. If you recall I did instruct the crew not to have their meals on the planet, or to have them brought down form the ship. I made my feelings concerning Dr. Shayza's disregarding my order clear to her, but as I learned of her indiscretion after the fact, there was little else I could do. She detailed all of the tests that she had run on the ingredient for our meal and they seemed more than...adequate."  
  
"Can you remember the tests she mentioned?" The captain raised an eyebrow at this question and too late the Dr. remembered not just whom he was talking to, but his nature. With only a pause for effect, the captain listed all the tests that Teagan had related to him. This caused Jewel to be very confused, as the tests he detailed, should have detected the toxins that had been found in Teagan's system. The doctor voiced this.  
  
"Perhaps the food was tainted at some point following her tests. I cannot believe that Dr. Shayza would have improperly run these tests." The captain was firm in his convictions and the doctor could not argue. He had personally seen Teagan run those exact tests dozens of times during the course of the nine days they had been on that damned planet.  
  
"I concur. But how would the food have been tainted after the fact. She is a very careful woman. If she thought for a moment that even the slightest possibility existed that the food was not safe, she would have rerun the tests or destroyed the food." Perhaps they would have more information when he could wake Teagan. The doctor looked back at the captain, wondering if he could now expect this man to leave his sickbay.  
  
"Teagan will be in an induced coma for another sixteen hours while we neutralize and flush the toxins from her system. I will keep you apprised of her progress, Captain," he said in a firm but not disrespectful tone.  
  
"Thank you Doctor, I will be on duty when you bring her out of the coma. I would very much appreciate being informed before you attempt to revive her as I would like to be here when she awakens," the captain told him as he rose smoothly from his seat. "I will inform her assistant and friend Lt. Apple of her condition. In her present state, will Miss Teagan be allowed visitors, Doctor?" he asked standing near the office door.  
  
"She may sense their presence, but of course she can't speak with them. I see no reason why they can't visit. I can call them if you would prefer, Captain." The doctor offered, confused that this man would even want to call her friends.  
  
The captain held up a hand, "No Doctor. You attend to your patient. I will attend to this matter. Thank you," he concluded, turned and walked from Jewel's office. The Doctor followed him, irritated at this man's controlling attitude. Yes, he was the captain, but there was still something about him that rubbed the doctor the wrong way.  
  
While he hoped he wouldn't, Jewel knew the captain would check on Teagan before leaving. When they reentered the room, Nurse Avery was just completing her work, but waited for the two men to enter before smiling at the captain while making her way to the door. Jewel wondered at the twinkle in her eye, but groaned inwardly as he noticed the chair now sitting on the right side of Teagan's bed. The captain nodded his thanks as Avery exited, and made for the chair. Sitting, he turned his full attention to the still occupant of the bed beside him. How long was he going to stay here? The doctor sighed and turned away.  
  
Once the doctor had left the room, the captain slowly reached across the side of the bed to take hold of Teagan's hand. "I am going to have be more careful with you and attempt to end the incidences of your needing medical attention while you are in my company...or out of it." After a time he touched his communicator and signaled Lt. Apple. When she answered, she sounded very nervous and confused about having him contact her.  
  
"I am calling to inform you that Dr. Shayza has taken ill and is in sickbay undergoing treatment. She will be unable to perform her duties tomorrow and most likely Wednesday as well." Apple asked what had happened and the captain explained it to her.  
  
"I have been informed by Dr. Jewel that she may have visitors. May I ask you to inform her other friends, Miss Apple? I believe they would prefer a call from you, as I seem to have caused you unease with my call," he waited as the communicator was not silent.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir. It was very kind of you to take the time to inform me yourself. I will do as you ask. Thank you, sir." He smiled.  
  
"I think it would be wise if we limit the visitors to two at a time, Miss Apple. I am here now, but I will step out when you and her other friends arrive. I will not intrude." There was another pause.  
  
"You're there now, sir? I see. I will inform those who will want to know and see to her work tomorrow. Thank you again, Captain. Apple out," she said and touched her communicator, closing the channel. He was there now...with Teagan, and had most likely been there since it happened. This just didn't make any sense. What the hell was the connection between those two? Were they dating? Just friends? He had sounded serious, but also concerned during that call. He would be concerned if she was a friend or...more, but how could she figure out which it was?  
  
Lauralee sighed and put that aside for now. Activating her monitor, she put a call through to Ashton's quarters, hoping he was not in the middle of....someone.  
Nine hours later, Dr. Jewel returned to sickbay after a bad night's sleep, to find that the captain was in Teagan's room again. Or was it again?  
  
"Nurse, how long has the captain been here?" he asked Nurse Leonard, who was on duty now. The man looked towards Teagan's room and smiled.  
  
"He was here when I arrived, Doctor. He has not left Miss Teagan's side, except for when her other fiends were here. He would step just outside to allow them to visit privately with her, but returned as soon as they left. Our new captain cares very much for Miss Teagan, Doctor. Do you think they're in love?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"I think that is none of our business, Nurse. See to your duties and remember that I also care very much about Dr. Shayza and would not be pleased to find that my staff is spreading rumors about her. Is that understood?" He realized that he was being too harsh as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but everyone seemed to be pleased by the relationship between the captain and Teagan. It was getting on his nerves. Why was he the only one who could see how demeaning this was to Teagan? Steeling himself, he entered Teagan's room.  
  
"I understand that you have been here all night, Captain. I am aware that you feel a sense of responsibility for her being here, but your sense of duty will not hasten her recovery," Jewel said as he entered the room. The captain was still in the chair that Avery had placed there for him. He looked up from his intent stare at Teagan's face to look incredulously at the older man.  
  
"My presence here had nothing to do with duty and everything to do with the identity of your patient, Dr. Jewel. I will be reporting for duty in one hour, but unless you require me to leave for medical reasons, I would prefer to remain," The captain said calmly. Jewel wished he had a good reason to ask this man to leave, but he did not.  
  
"Why? What reason could you have for staying, sir?" He hated having to add the 'sir' but protocol did demand it. The captain studied his face for a moment before answering.  
  
"I believe I finally understand what I have been seeing in your expression, Doctor. I am aware that you and Teagan share a close bond. Am I correct in assuming that you do not approve of her relationship with me? And you may speak freely, Doctor." Jewel realized that he had wanted to have just this conversation with this man, but now that it was happening, he wondered if it was such a good idea. Still the man's cocky attitude infuriated him. He did not believe for a moment that the captain stayed by her side for any reason other than keeping up appearances or from guilt.  
  
"I don't approve. I don't like the way you have made it a requirement that she join you in the evening. I don't like the way people talk about her now. I did not like seeing how you would waltz in when we were on the planet and expect her to drop everything to stand obediently at your side." He had been hesitant to start, but now that he had, he found it hard to stop. The stunned expression on the android's face only fueled his anger. "I don't think you treat her with respect. I have no idea what you want from her, but I don't think it would change how I feel to know!" He had to stop here, as he was out of breath.  
  
Slowly the captain came to a stand. His odd eyes filled with emotions that the doctor was at a loss identify. "You are under the impression that I have pressured her to spend her evening with me, I assure you that you are mistaken. I spoke with Teagan on precisely this issue. She was emphatic that it was her choice to join me each evening. As to her being obedient, even if I was to wish it from her, and I do not, I doubt it would be something I would ever achieve.  
  
"I have a great respect for her, Doctor. As to what I wish of her, it is friendship. Almost from the moment I took command, she has been the only person whom I have felt free to....laugh with even for a brief period of time. I place a very high value on her friendship." The captain turned back to look down at Teagan. "However, if you believe I have behaved improperly towards her, there are channels you are free to go through to have my actions reviewed."  
  
"I hope it doesn't come to that," the doctor said.  
  
"Where exactly do you believe that I have behaved improperly, Doctor?" he asked looking back at the CMO.  
  
"I have no specific instance, other than when you came to retrieve her from the lab when we were on the planet."  
  
"Yes, you mentioned that. I did contact her prior to my leaving the diplomatic talks each day to inform her of my ETA. I neglected to on the first day and when I entered, she was badly startled. It appeared to me that during the mission she would have overworked herself had I not encouraged her to allow her other staff members to relieve her. I was also concerned that she had not been eating properly during the days. Where you aware of that, Doctor?" the older man grimaced.  
  
"Yes," was all he wanted to say. The captain was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Jewel had been forced to have Apple beam food down for them both and pull Teagan away for her console so she would eat it. He had not expected this man to have also noticed.  
  
Was he being unfair to him? What he letting the false rumors of intimacy between Teagan and the captain colour his perceptions? He looked down at the peaceful face of the woman he had known for four years. He knew she was in love with the captain, and even though she admitted there was a possibility that the captain would never return her feelings, but she wanted to try. She had also made the doctor promise to keep her secret.  
  
Looking the captain in the eye, he frowned but nodded. "I will hold my peace for the time being, Captain. But I will not stand by silently if I see evidence of misconduct on your part. She deserves better." This was all he could take. With one final cautioning glare, the doctor exited the room.  
  
The captain stared questioningly after him. He had been aware that there was much confusion regarding his relationship with Teagan, but he had not been aware of anyone having this kind of reservations. He decided that he would speak with her once she awakened. He did not really know why he remained here. He could have gone to his quarters and thought of her just the same, but he found he could not convince himself to leave. Duty would call soon and he would have to leave for the bridge, but he would inform Commander Brent that he would be leaving early to see to Dr. Shayza's awakening. Risking being seen, the captain reached over for her hand. Something felt odd in his chest as he touched her. He was not fooling himself by trying to deny that he cared so much for her. Two weeks was plenty of time for humans to fall in love, surely it was not an unreasonable length of time for him as well.  
  
An hour later, the captain reluctantly left Teagan Shayza's side. He told Dr. Jewel that he was going to report to the bridge, but asked again to be called before they revived Teagan. The doctor begrudgingly agreed.  
  
As the captain made his way to the bridge, it became immediately apparent that the news of Teagan's condition had spread throughout the ship. Almost every crewmember he passed acknowledged him in some way. One would nod and give him a sympathetic smile; the next would stop and respectfully inquire as to Miss Teagan's status.  
  
By the time the captain reached the bridge, he was overwhelmed by the concern the crew was showing for Teagan Shayza's welfare. Walking the distance form the lift to the center seat, he noticed the same expressions he had just encountered, on the faces of his bridge crew. Everyone was quiet. If they needed to speak, it was in hushed voices.  
  
His number one, a burly human man of 36, who always looked serious, greeted him. If the captain had not known better, he would have assumed that the man was enamored with Vulcan philosophy, but he had caught him laughing when entering the bridge from his ready room or when he saw him in the lounge. Now Commander Brent's expression was expectant. Decided that speaking to the Commander in the ready room would cause the crew to be overly curious about something that did not need secrecy, he took his seat.  
  
"As I am sure most of you are aware, Dr. Shayza collapsed in the corridor at 2007 hours last evening. Dr. Jewel identified the toxins in her system and has placed her in a coma until her system had been cleared of them. Commander Brent, barring any unforeseen emergencies, I will be releasing the con to you at approximately 1400 hours. Until that time, we will proceed as normal," He voice was just loud enough to be heard by all, but not as calm as he would have liked it to be. He regretted having not turned off his emotion chip, but it was too late now.  
  
"Understood, sir. Dr. Shayza is expected to make a full recovery?" The man to the captain's right asked this, also loud enough for all to hear.  
  
"Yes, Commander. Dr. Jewel believes he will be able to revive her this afternoon and release her to her quarters by this evening. I have complete confidence in the doctor's prognosis." The Repulse's first officer nodded.  
  
"I believe I speak for the crew when I say we all hope she is well soon, sir." Brent's expression now had the same compassionate quality that the captain had seen on most of the faces he had looked at in the last half- hour.  
  
"I will be sure to relay your sentiment to Dr. Shayza this afternoon, Number one. I am certain she will be touched. May I have the status report, please?" The Commander's expression changed to reflect confusion for the blink of an eye, but recovering his mask of efficiency, he proceeded to relate the information that his captain has just requested.  
Three hours later, Captain Data had retreated to the seclusion of his ready room. The mood of the bridge had not changed much in that time and he found that most startling. All were efficient, respectful and quiet. There was no casual chatter. No greetings to crewmembers as they entered, no friendly words of parting. The quiet was unnatural and it was getting on his .it was bothering him.  
  
He kept himself busy for as long as he could in his ready room until he decided that perhaps it would be best to get someone else's input on the strange behavior of the crew. As a trip to Bio-Chemistry would be useless, He put a call through to the Counselor's office using his monitor. The man did not look surprised to receive his call.  
  
"Yes, Captain. I am free, sir. I can be there in under-"  
  
"No, Counselor. I believe it would be wise if I spoke to you in this manner. I assume that you are aware of Dr. Shayza's collapse last evening?" The counselor looked perplexed, but nodded after a moment.  
  
"Yes, Captain. I was very sorry to hear that she is ill. Is she in any serious danger, sir?" he asked, genuine concern clear on his face.  
  
"Our CMO believes she will be resting in her own quarters by this evening. This incident has opened my eyes to just how interconnected the crew of a starship can be," he commented. As expected, the counselor asked him what he meant. "It seems that Miss Teagan had more friends than she believes. Her illness has seemingly effected the majority of the crew. Almost every person I encountered as I traveled from sickbay to the bridge expressed his or her regrets that she was ill. I would not have expected one persons non life threatening illness to have effected so much of the crew." The confusion that the counselor had displayed previously now returned stronger that before.  
  
"From your comment, Captain, am I to assume that you don't see that Miss Teagan's connection to you is also responsible for a large portion of that reaction?" At this, the captain paused.  
  
"Why would that effect the crew, Counselor? We are not.dating. Her relationship to me is purely casual. In the last two weeks we have become friends, but that is all." As the words tumbled slowly form his Captain's mouth; the counselor quickly cleared all the expression from him face. He did not want the other man to know how shocked he was by his words.  
  
"Then Miss Teagan was not who you were referring to when you questioned me regarding fraternization?" he asked with forced calm. The expression in the captain's eyes answered faster then his next sentence.  
  
"I had hoped, but we have only known each other for a short period of time. I believe that she is not interested in that kind of relationship...or perhaps she does not wish it with me." The words seemed very painful for the captain to relate.  
  
How could that be, the counselor wondered. When the lovely red head had called him to her office, Braccon had been vicariously giddy in her nervous excitement. He was sure at the time that had he not left when he had so that she could call the captain in private to invite him to dinner, that she would have come over the desk and carried him out. A few days later Braccon had seen the two together in the lounge. The Captain's behavior was relaxed and happy, oblivious to the other members of his crew in the lounge and Miss Teagan too had seemed enthralled with her dinner companion. While some of the scuttlebutt had the two sleeping together, the more commonly held believe was that they were in love and dating seriously. Even two weeks of dinners together had gotten the entire crew's attention. Sightings of the pair walking arm in arm through the corridors of the ship had caused females of the ship's compliment to sigh, while the males wondered what it was like to be captain and have women falling at your feet.  
  
The Counselor doubted most captains really had women falling at their feet, but other captains were not his problem. This one was. Something just wasn't adding up here. What it was, Braccon had no idea, but regardless, he would have to proceed very carefully.  
  
"Was there something specific you wished to discuss with me, sir?" Braccon asked, hoping to push the captain in a slightly different direction.  
  
"Yes, counselor. While I am aware that you do not possess empathic abilities to sense the general emotional state of the crew, I would like to know if you have encountered any indications of disapproval. I have recently discovered a member of the ship's compliment who felt that my relationship with Dr. Shayza was bordering on...inappropriate. While I am at a loss to understand this belief, it does concern me that they may not be the alone in this perception." Again, the captain had surprised him.  
  
I assume that you don't want to tell me who that member of the crew is?" In reply, the captain shook his head. "I know you are aware that I will not repeat any of what is said here, sir." The counselor said, the questions clear in his voice.  
  
"I am not questioning your professional ethics, Counselor. I do not wish your own judgement of this person to be coloured by what I said here." The captain broke eye contact and looked at something out of the counselor's view from the monitor. "I have been forced to wonder if this crew member is not alone in this opinion and if that perception could reduce my effectiveness as captain." This was bad, thought Braccon. He knew this man, android, captain, what ever he was he was in love with Dr. Shayza and from what he could see, most of the crew approved. The fact that the pair had never even tried to hide the relationship as it developed meant that the entire crew was able to watch the two as they dined together, laughed, teased, and walked away arm in arm. The rumors about their being intimately involved were dissipating with the increase of sightings of the captain saying goodnight to her at Miss Teagan's door, or Miss Teagan wishing him goodnight at his.  
  
Who ever this person was, they would have to be involved closely with Miss Teagan. Most likely male...it would be jealousy, protectiveness...., or both. Wait...the captain would not have waited to talk about this. He would have just discovered this. And the place that the captain had to have been that was out of the norm was....sickbay.  
  
"I don't think that Dr. Jewel would jeopardize the effectiveness of his captain, even if he did not care for that captain seeing the woman he views as his daughter," Braccon said calmly. The captain's eyes got wider for only a second.  
  
"Impressive, counselor. However, I do not believe this will help matters. The Doctor was quite firm in his disapproval. He believed I am coercing Miss Teagan to dine with me each evening." The counselor considered this.  
  
"I do have to admit a certain amount of curiosity as to how that came about, Captain, but I can't see Miss Teagan allowing herself to be coerced."  
  
"I simply asked if we could consider our meeting for the evening meal prearranged. We had seen each other for that particular meal for six consecutive nights at that point. She agreed." The captain told him.  
  
"Captain, I believe that you and Miss Teagan are following the best course of action in an attempt to begin a romantic involvement...or a close friendship," he added as the noted that the captain's head had come up at the word 'romantic'. There was a touch of sadness in the man's eyes as he lowered them once again. "Perhaps the only thing to do now is make sure all your ducks are in a row. Review your actions with her. If there are any you believe would be questionable, discontinue them. Speak with Miss Teagan when she is able and reiterate your intentions towards her. Make sure she is comfortable with every aspect of your relationship and that should solve most of the problems. I'm sure she talks to Dr. Jewel and that he will voice his concerns to her. If you have made things clear to her, she in turn will be able to make things clear to Dr. Jewel." The counselor took a deep breath and said what he hoped would be the clincher.  
  
"Be honest with Miss Teagan, sir. There should be no misunderstanding between you." Trying to smile, he met the other man's eyes on the monitor and nodded.  
  
"Thank you, Counselor. I hope I will not need your assistance in that area in the future," he said, obviously embarrassed at needing it now.  
  
"It's what I'm here for, Captain. I'm happy to help. I just hope I have been helpful. Please sir; don't feel that you can't call me for advice or just for someone else to talk to. I don't see that I will ever be a captain, but I can't see that it would be an easy thing to undertake. We all need someone to just talk to, and at this moment your person is unconscious in sickbay."  
  
The captain really did smile now. "Thank you, Counselor. I shall remember that in future. Captain out."  
  
As the viewer before him went dark, the counselor sighed. Leaned back in his chair, he stared at the now blank screen. In some ways, this captain was doing fine. The first mission had gone great, and Captain Data had made sure that his crew knew how pleased he was with them.  
  
The captain's relationship with Miss Teagan had been something fun and interesting for the crew to talk about since he had come aboard. Miss Teagan was well like through out the ship, so if he truly had been viewed as treating her badly his popularity would have taken an immediate and sharp decline. It had not. While no one truly knew what was going on between them, it was viewed as a budding romance and thus far was a moral booster. While this also meant that if the two had a falling out that it could mean trouble for the new captain, Braccon hoped that he could help them avoid this if he kept the captain comfortable with coming to him. Braccon also decided that as soon as Miss Teagan was better, he was going to visit her and see if he could discover why she had changed her mind about perusing a closer relationship with the captain. 


	8. chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Sickbay was quiet for the moment. Ensign Rager's dislocated shoulder was the only recent excitement that the doctor had had to deal with. Dr. Jewel now sat in his office filling out the report on the minor injury, while keeping an eye on the monitor that was focused on the bed where Teagan Shayza rested. Her levels were almost back to normal now. He would be able to bring her out of the coma in the next hour just as he had estimated to the captain.  
  
Sighing, Dr. Jewel thanked the saints that Captain Data was safely on duty on the bridge, having finally vacated sickbay and Teagan's room. Jewel had had the misfortune to be watching to monitor hours earlier, before that captain had left Teagan's room. The android had been completely still, so when he had moved, it caught the attention of the doctor. As Jewel watched, Captain Data had leaned closer to Teagan's bed, his hand had come across the covers to reach her hand. The Captain had said a few words, but the sound on the monitor was off, so Jewel had not heard them. Still, the expression on the android's face was enough. He looked worried, sorry, and...moved with emotion. The captain held Teagan's hand for only a moment, but the moment was an intense one.  
  
Since becoming aware of the relationship forming between this being and Teagan, Jewel had thought it a bad idea. Captain's rarely married and were often womanizers. Even when they did marry, the marriage was often plagued with troubles and frequently failed. There had already been enough loss in Teagan's life. Loosing her entire family at the age of fourteen was enough sorrow for a life time, Jewel did not want her to face more if he could help it.  
  
He knew that he could be wrong about the captain's feelings for her and after today the thought that even Teagan was wrong had occurred to him. The look in that man's face as he reached out and held Teagan's small hand had forced Jewel to review the captain's past actions with another thought in mind. He still did not like this thought, but maybe it wasn't as bad as his past belief regarding this strange yellow-eyed being. Jewel sighed again. He would have to call that strange being soon to inform him that they would be reviving Teagan.  
  
"I bet my career that the man will insist on seeing her to her quarters."  
Teagan knew something was wrong, but was unsure as to what. She felt like she was buried in sand or encased in a cold forcefield. She tried to remember where she was or what she had been doing. Finally, an image came back to her. She felt a wonderful warmth. Opening her eyes, she saw she was walking on grass in an open area. Above her two suns filled the sky. Two bright, warm suns that were enveloping her in a blanket of heat that pushed away the cold that she had been feeling. She stared at the suns, but it did not hurt her eyes.  
  
Alpha and Bata suns, she thought as she gazed at the bright yellow orbs. Alpha and Bata...Bata...no....Data....Sunshine!  
  
She was suddenly somewhere else. She knew she wasn't alone though. The captain was near by, but not near enough. He was worried about her, she was sure of this. Very worried about her. He wanted her to come to him for something. He needed her, but she could not reach him.  
  
"Captain," she whispered. But the voice that answered was not his.  
  
"Teagan, wake up love."  
  
No, that was definitely not the captain!  
  
She opened her eyes. Jewly was on her right side, Nurse Avery just behind him. The woman smiled sweetly down at her, and then looked over to Teagan's left. Teagan followed her gaze. His bright yellow orbs locked with her eyes and held them firm. She felt herself smile. "You were calling me, sir?" she asked.  
  
Her voice sounded scratch and horse, but he did not seem to notice. The wonderful smile on his face made her forget there were other people in the room with them.  
  
"I think you were calling me, Miss Teagan. How do you feel?" his question surprised her.  
  
"I thought it was my job to ask that question, Captain," came Jewly's voice, reminding her that they were not alone.  
  
"I ask your pardon, Dr. Jewel. I meant no offence," the captain quickly said, apologetically. Jewly looked a bit upset, but Teagan just reached over and patted the older man's hand.  
  
"Relax Jewly, my stomach feels achy and my head hurts a bit, but I think I'm ok. Am I?" she asked him, soothingly.  
  
"You would be better if you would use the replicators more often." Jewel told her firmly. She grimaced.  
  
"What happened to me?"  
  
"The food you brought up from that damn planet was tainted. You poisoned yourself." He told her, obviously cross with her. She quickly looked back to the Captain.  
  
"Sir, are you alright? And Stripes?" to her relief he nodded reassuringly.  
  
"I was not effected and the taint must not have been in the fish as Stripes did not succumb, but I must agree with the doctor. Unless you receive permission directly from me, you are here by prohibited from bringing any consumables aboard this ship. I would also order you not to eat anything that does not come for this ship if I could, but-"  
  
"I think I get the picture, sir. I will be more careful. I did check those things that I brought aboard, I know I did." Her tone was now almost pleading, wanting these two men to believe her. The Doctor placed a reassuring hand on her arm.  
  
"We know you did, love. We think someone must have contaminated the food after you ran your checks. We wanted to speak with you before the captain contacted the officials back on-"  
  
"No, please, those people have been through enough. Maybe someone thought they were attacking an invader. There were hundreds of people in and out of the beam up point. The ensign left it unattended for a few minutes, I'm sure. Since it was an open area, there would be no way to tell who did it." Her eyes were still pleading and mournful. "It was my fault and I was the only one effected. I have learned my lesson. I will obey your orders to the letter from now on, Captain. I'm very sorry I caused so much of a commotion." The captain and doctor exchanged looks.  
  
"I have to file a report with StarFleet, but I can make the details vague. I will have to lay some of the blame with you, Doctor Shayza. It will be a blemish on your record, Doctor," he told her, regret apparent in his voice.  
  
"I am responsible. I should take the blame," she mumbled.  
  
""No, Doctor. I am responsible. I am your captain and I am ultimately responsible for everything that happens aboard this ship and every action taken by my crew. The doctor would be able to tell you that it will be seen as an error on my part. I should have made certain that my orders were understood and followed." Teagan looked stunned at this. She had never intended to get him into trouble.  
  
"What ever course of action would cause you the least amount of damage, sir. I will cooperate with you in any way." She was obviously upset, now and this was not what the Captain wanted.  
  
"I will see to it, Doctor Shayza. I want your only concern to be your health at this time." He was not sure how reassuring that sounded, but he had not wanted to talk about this now. The doctor was looking at him crossly when Teagan had wanted to take the blame, but in telling her that he would take it, he had upset her worse. The doctor was just going to have to be upset. Data could not allow this man to push him into hurting Teagan.  
  
"If you will excuse us, Captain. I need to run a few checks on my patient before releasing her," Jewel said, ending the conversation.  
  
The captain nodded and making eye contact with Teagan said, "I will wait outside for your release and see you to your quarters," he told her. She nodded and he went out.  
  
The doctor rolled his eyes, but began his check in silence.  
  
"I saw that, what's with you?" Teagan asked, her tone irritated.  
  
"Our captain is just getting on my nerves," he told her in a hush.  
  
"And what the hell does that mean?"  
  
"Have you noticed that the more time you spend with him, the more you are in need of my services? I'm not a superstitious person by nature, love, but I think that it does not bode well for you." He looked up from his medical tricorder to find her eyes ablaze.  
  
"I told you to respect my wishes, Jewly. My involvement with him is my business. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's just too bad. Keep your out-of-joint nose out of this," she said, seething.  
  
"Half the crew thinks your sleeping with him." He knew he shouldn't say it, but he had to. She grabbed his arm.  
  
"I am not sleeping with him, not that it's anyone's business either, but if it ever does happen I'll be sure never to tell you." She released his arm, flinging it away from her.  
  
He tightened his lips and silently went back to his checks.  
In the Doctor's office, the monitor was still connected to Teagan's room and the sound had been turned on so that Nurse Avery could tell the doctor when Teagan's levels had returned to normal. Dr. Jewel had forgotten to switch it off when he left his office. The doctor's orderly, Ensign Brea now stood transfixed before the screen. He had not meant to eavesdrop, he despised that sort of behavior, but he could not just turn off his ears. He'd been having a debate with his wife about this very subject. His wife had been sure that the captain and Miss Teagan were very involved and that it would end up permanent. Roga Brea had told her that he was sure that it was just a short-term thing. If Miss Teagan told the Doctor, her good friend that she had not been to bed with the captain yet after two weeks, it was not going to happen. It was going to be good to finally win an argument with Lily.  
After twenty minutes, Nurse Avery told the captain that he could come back in the room. Teagan was sitting up and had her legs dangling off the side of the bed. She grinned at him when he reentered the room. His chest did that peculiar tightening thing again as she looked at him. It was very good to have her beautiful eyes open again.  
  
"Is she well, Dr. Jewel?" The captain asked without looking at the man.  
  
"Well enough to stop taking up one of my beds. I assume that you wish me to release her to you, Captain?" The captain met his eyes now.  
  
"Will she require supervision, Doctor?" the captain asked, confused as to why he would release her if she were not well enough to be alone.  
  
"If it were anyone else, I would say no. With this patient, yes. She will try to return to duty too soon, eat the wrong things, do too much and not rest enough. Normally I would have Ashton watch her." Dr. Jewel could have added Lauralee's name to that but thought that Ashton's name might give the captain pause. It was beneath him, but this man was ticking him off. If Teagan kept seeing him, she would never find someone to love her and get married. Jewel wanted her to have a family, and the android could not give her that either.  
  
Teagan gave a huff. "Hey, stop talking like I'm not here. And speaking of duty, what time is it?" She looked at the captain for the answer.  
  
"1447 hours," he replied promptly. She tipped her head to the side.  
  
"Shouldn't you be on the bridge, Captain?" she asked. Jewel gave a small sigh and the captain merely smiled at her.  
  
"When should she return to duty, Doctor?"  
  
"Thursday should be ok." The doctor turned his gaze to the red head. "Rest, Teagan. No solid food until your stomach stops hurting. Let me know if you can't sleep or if anything out of the ordinary happens. And be more careful in the future, love. I have been treating you too often lately." He gave a glance in the captain's direction to see if he reacted to this comment, but the top ranking officer of the Repulse was looking only at the ship's chief bio-chemist and barely paying the CMO any mind. Teagan just rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"I still want to know why you aren't on the bridge. Aren't you going to get in trouble for that?" she asked, trying to stand. She teetered a bit, and both men moved from opposite sides to steady her. "I'm ok," she assured them. Moving away from the bed and towards the captain, she looked like she was still waiting for an answer. She would wait a long time....  
  
"I will make certain she eats a liquid dinner, Dr. Jewel. Are you ready to return to your quarters, Dr. Shayza?" At her capitulating sigh, he offered an arm for her to hold. Dr. Jewel just rubbed his forehead as the pair walked out of the room and out of sickbay.  
  
In the corridor, Teagan looked at the man who's arm steadied her. "You're not going to answer me, are you, sir?"  
  
"Do you believe that you will still be able to attend your practice on Thursday evening? You may be too fatigued after your first day back on duty," he asked, ignoring her question. She groaned and he looked alarmed.  
  
"Are you trying to get me to miss that? If I'm that tired, should I miss our dinner meeting as well?" she asked seemingly innocent. He opened his mouth to object quickly, but saw something in her eye that caused him to stop.  
  
"I believe that we need to discuss those plans as soon as you are feeling up to it," he said trying to sound casual, but she was not falling for it.  
  
"What does that mean? Are you that upset with me, sir. Please, if there is any way you can blame this whole thing on me, I-" They stopped walking as he was no longer moving, but was turning to look her in the face.  
  
"No Miss Teagan, I was not referring to your illness and I am not distressed with you. However, your illness has caused certain items to come to light. I believe that after you have had more time to recover, we should discuss them," This said, he turned, pulling her gently along with him.  
  
"And you don't want to discuss it now? Correct?" she asked. He nodded. "Can we go my lab, I want to check on-" he was shaking his head now.  
  
"Lt. Apple is in charge of alpha watch until your return, Miss Teagan. I will inform her when to expect you and she will pass the word to your other friends that you are recovering as she did of your incapacitation." Teagan kept moving, but looked stunned and confused.  
  
"You called her to tell her that I was in sickbay? You didn't have Dr. Jewel or one of the nurses do that?" Now he looked dismayed.  
  
"I was perfectly capable of making the call. I only called Lt. Apple, as she seemed nervous that I called. I asked her to inform those she felt should know."  
  
"Captain, have you noticed that everyone we pass is smiling at us?" she asked, changing the subject in a direction he did not expect.  
  
The Captain nodded at a passing crewmember and exchanged glances with the woman on his arm. The ensign that they had just passed had been grinning happily at them both. "I believe this may be something that will subside in time. There seems to be much concern over your illness among the crew. Even my bridge crew was effected," he told her calmly.  
  
"What? How were they effected?" dismay and nervousness in her voice grabbed his attention. He patted her arm in an attempt to calm her.  
  
"You have been a member of this crew for four years, Miss Teagan. I sensed that you are well thought of and that no one wished you to be unwell." She looked at him as though she knew that he was leaving something out. He still was not sure he understood the reaction of the crew himself. How could he explain it to her?  
  
In due course, they arrived at her quarters. He did not release her, but looked down at her to ask a question.  
  
"Do you believe to could eat your dinner at this time?" he asked, his eyes full of concern. She nodded. He guided her to her table and seated her. He ordered a vegetable broth for them both and two glasses of cold water.  
  
"Surely you don't want broth for your dinner. I don't mind if you have what you want," she told him, but his consideration was touching.  
  
"My main concern is that you eat. The menu of my meal tonight is irrelevant," he told her firmly. His hands remained in his lap as he waited for her to take her first spoonful of her soup. After two slowly consumed spoonfuls, she convinced him to stop staring and to join her in the torture of eating 'this terrible tasting stuff'.  
  
"Misery loves company," she said, grimacing at her third spoonful of broth.  
  
"You wish me to be miserable?" he asked, teasing.  
  
"You're the one who ordered this stuff. Tell me what you wanted to discuss with me, it's gonna drive me crazy until you do," she asked, a pleading quality entering her voice.  
  
He frowned. He should have known that she would not forget and would have insisted on being told. He had wanted to wait longer, but it seemed that telling her now was unavoidable.  
  
"While you were in your coma, I had a talk with Dr. Jewel," Teagan looked like she was bracing herself for a blow. He continued quickly, "Are you aware that he believes that I have behaved improperly towards you?" Oddly, the expression on her faces was one of indecision. Slowly she nodded.  
  
"He doesn't understand or does not want to understand our relationship," she said, staring at her bowl.  
  
"He believes that I do not treat you with respect. In his eyes I have commanded you to join me for the evening meal and you feel compelled to do as I say in our time together. Is that how you see our relationship, Teagan?"  
  
"No, sir! I do not feel like you show me disrespect or order me to...do anything except call you by name," she raised her voice, and looked almost in a panic.  
  
"I was only teasing you about that and I was hoping that it would be a way of showing you that I see you as more that just a member of my crew. It appears Dr. Jewel is correct. I have failed to make you feel at ease with me. You continue to see me as your commanding officer and not as...anything else." his chest felt bad again and he could not bring himself to look at her face. He had failed again. Somehow, she did feel as though he was ordering her to spend her time with him. She did not want to be with him for herself.  
  
A hand touched his shoulder. Looking to his right, he saw that she stood beside him looking very upset. "That is in no way true. I see us as friends. It's not always easy to be your friend, to know exactly what to say and what not to say. What I can do and what I cannot do. I think I learn more about you and how to behave with you each day. I'm not happy that Dr. Jewel made you feel that you had done something wrong. I don't feel the same," she assured him.  
  
He worried about her standing, as she still looked shaky. He took her hand from his shoulder and rising, used it to guide her back to her chain. Kneeling beside her and retaining his hold on her hand, he spoke again.  
  
"I have no wish to compel you to do anything outside or your duty to this ship. During our usual time together, I would hope for...only what you feel comfortable giving me. If you feel that attempting to be my friend is too difficult-" she stopped him.  
  
"It is difficult at times, but not too difficult. One of the reasons that this relationship is so difficult is that other people don't really understand our relationship. They ask questions that I don't want to answer or don't feel like I should answer. But when I don't answer, they make assumptions and I'm not sure what to do to combat that. I have tried to say that we are just friends, but I don't think people believe me." He stood and released her hand.  
  
"Why?" he asked, puzzled.  
  
"We spend too much time together," she told him.  
  
"It is only the evening meal," he defended and she laughed.  
  
"It was at first, but now we go for walks or play chess in your quarters or in the lounge. You told me before that it took us about ninety minutes to eat dinner and that used to be the end of it. How much time do we spend together now, on average?" he looked guilty and hesitant to answer.  
  
"Three hours, forty two minutes and fifteen second...on average," he admitted.  
  
She smiled gently. "It's gone up. And I usually go to my quarters, if we are not here, and go right to bed after we part. To everyone else, I think that looks like dating," he opened his mouth, but she was not done and held up a shaky hand. "I am not saying that to complain. I think I have already gotten used to people assuming and not trying to really see that we are just friends and that's all. I don't care what everyone else thinks, Captain. I like being your friend and I want to continue to be your friend. I will speak to Dr. Jewel and tell him just what I think about his behavior. Can we put this behind us? I don't want anything to change if you don't."  
  
The only thing he wanted to change at this moment was his overwhelming desire to pull her into him arms and just hold her or kiss her and then hold her. With extreme effort, he made himself return to his seat.  
  
"No, I do not wish anything between us to change. You should try and eat more of your soup, Teagan, " he said softly. She gave him a halfhearted smile and lifted the spoon to her lips.  
When he returned to his quarters later that evening, he found a very upset Stripes and plates that had been licked clean still on the table. After cleaning up the dishes, he fed Stripes and moved to the living room to retrieve his violin from the shelf. He soon found that playing his beloved instrument did almost nothing to sooth him. His emotions were refusing to be silenced or ignored. Still, paying them attention would do little to change the circumstances he faced.  
  
While nothing had been damaged by the doctor's opinion, nothing had improved either. She still wanted only friendship, but she did seem willing to endure difficulty to maintain it. Surely, it was accurate to say that she felt the relationship important to her. He found himself sighing. He had followed part of the Counselor's advice. They had discussed their relationship and redefined it, but he had not been totally forthcoming with his feelings for her. Perhaps he could still hope that she would change her mind about only being friends. He would give her more time...all the time in the world; after all, he was not going anywhere...  
She returned to duty on Thursday and her staff made quite a fuss about it. She had always known that she was well thought of by her people, but it was always nice to be reminded. She was still glowing from the wonderful mood that finally being able to get out of her quarters had given her when she met the captain in the lounge for dinner. He, however, did not seem quite himself. Conversation lagged, which was very unusual. He did not laugh as freely as he normally did and sometimes not at all.  
  
"Ok, what's wrong?" she asked, purposefully.  
  
He looked startled. "Nothing is wrong," he said, looking slightly defensive.  
  
She snorted and shook her head. "And I was born yesterday. I repeat, what's wrong?" She leaned over the table and stared fixedly at him. He looked very uncomfortable. "You know that opening under your nose? Open it and tell me what is eating you like you promised you would before I come over there and...do something disrespectful to my superior officer." He was forced to grin at her.  
  
"I was thinking about Saturday evening...I will try to make it to your...event for a few minutes, but I do not believe I will stay for more than that," he tried to sound apologetic, but Teagan was not falling for it.  
  
"Meet me in my quarters at 1700 hours on Saturday or as close to 1700 as you can come and we can have a short dinner. Then you can escort me to the holodeck and stay for as long as you can tolerate." He looked about to object, so she quickly spoke again. "You seemed to be worried that I thought you were ordering me around even when we are off duty and together. How about I even it up a bit? I order you not to argue with me and to do as I have 'commanded'." She leaned across the table again and grinned at him. "I would have missed you too, you know. It's not a crime to get used to something and like it to stay that way. Well? What do you say?" she asked leaning back.  
  
He sighed. He could only manage to keep one thing from her, but at least he could keep that much. "It will be as you say, Captain Shayza," he told her with a grin. She laughed, but jumped up from her chair and motioned for him to rise as well. As they were both through with dinner, he complied. Coming to stand next to him, she raised up on her toes and whispered in his ear.  
  
"With all due respect...Captain....you're a smart ass!" she told him.  
  
Barely suppressing his laughter, he looked down at her and shook his head. "I am sorry, Miss Teagan, but my positronic brain is not in that location." He did break into laughter when she covered her eyes with a hand and sighed heavily at him.  
  
"You are an impossible man. And I want to know why I had to be the one you chose to be impossible with," she said as she walked by him and towards the exit of the lounge. He followed, albeit confused. She was still shaking her head at him, so this odd behavior of the captain and his constant dinner companion caused concern from those that noticed in the lounge.  
  
"Is everything ok, Captain?" asked Lt. Payton as the captain came by his table in an attempt to catch Teagan.  
  
"I believe so, but with Miss Teagan, I am never certain," the captain answered honestly as he passed. He caught up with his prey only because she waited for him at the doors to the lounge. She grinned brightly at him and the captain thought it wise to give the thumbs up sign to the curious lieutenant.  
  
"What was that for?" Teagan asked him as she slipped her arm through his and gave him an affectionate squeeze. They walked out of the lounge together.  
  
"I believe that the lieutenant was concerned that we were having a dispute. I wanted to put his mind at ease."  
  
She grinned. "Who? You and I? We don't argue. You order and I obey," she said teasingly.  
  
"Or you order and I obey," he teased back.  
  
"I like the second one better. You are less impossible when you are doing what I want you to do," she teased, giving him an evil grin.  
  
"I cannot agree that I am impossible. Highly improbable maybe, but not impossible."  
  
She sighed again. "What kind of punishment would result of I tried to strangle my captain?" she released his arm and just stood there, hands on her hips. He looked at her and smiled. He knew she was joking, so he played along.  
  
"I image I would be joining you for dinner in the brig for at least a month if not more," she looked like she was thinking it over. He shook his head at her. "I think I had better deliver you to your friends, Miss Teagan." He reached out and took hold of her hand, pulling her back to him. They walked in silence for only seconds.  
  
"I know I'm repeating myself, but are you going to be an obedient captain and do as I asked on Saturday?" she asked, and he nodded. She smiled and sighed happily now. 


	9. chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Friday morning, Teagan received an odd call from the counselor, asking if he could drop in and speak with her later. She agreed, but wondered why he would want to see her. An hour and a half later the counselor was taking the seat in front of her desk and smiling brightly at her.  
  
"What can I do for you. Counselor?" she asked leaning forward with her elbows on her desk. Braccon steepled his hands and smiled his most calming smile.  
  
"I wanted to check on your recovery from your poisoning, Dr. Shayza. Dr. Jewel told me that it could have been intentional and this can cause unresolved feelings of resentment. I also understand that you chose not to pursue the matter. Are you still sure about that decision?" Miss Teagan just smiled.  
  
"Yes counselor, I'm fine with that decision. I felt that pursuing the matter would only harm a situation that our Captain and the diplomatic team had only just been able to resolve. The error was mine. The Captain ordered us not to eat food from the planet and I disobeyed. He got is some trouble for that and I have some unresolved feelings about that." Her guilty grin made it obvious that she was not uncomfortable with the subject, but was disappointed with herself.  
  
"What kind of trouble did the captain get into? He did not mention anything to me."  
  
"Then maybe it wasn't too bad. He won't tell to me about it. I can ask, but he'll just make this zipping motion across his lips and shrug like his voice simulator had suddenly gone on the fritz. It seems to start working again as soon as I change the subject." She grinned widely now and her eyes had an unfocused gleam of someone reliving a pleasant memory.  
  
"I take it that keeping up your pattern with the captain had become mutually agreeable?" He hoped this was not to probing a question, but this relationship had become vital in several unexpected ways. She flushed slightly.  
  
"Rumors abound, but yes. He's...wonderful. You can't repeat this so I can be honest...right?" she asked suddenly hesitant to talk about her commanding officer like this.  
  
"Yes, Miss Teagan. I can tell no one of what you say," he guaranteed her.  
  
"Just making sure. Everyone seems to think we're...closer than we really are and while he seems to be dealing with this so far, I'm not sure it won't eventually get to him." She looked a little lost in thought and apprehensive.  
  
"You believe that the captain will stop seeing you if the rumors surrounding your relationship intensify?" he asked, trying not to lead her too much.  
  
She sighed and leaned back in her chair. She stared at the ceiling and grimaced. "He is not easy to peg. He and I have known each other for just over two weeks and in some ways I feel like I've known him...longer, you know how it goes, counselor. We connected very quickly, but it is not what it appears to be to the causal observer."  
  
"Then how is it, Miss Teagan?" He prodded.  
  
"I....well, he enjoys my company, but he is just interested in having someone to talk to and someone who will be his friend. He likes to tease me and he has a wonderful sense of humor, but he made it clear to me that he would only go to a point in this relationship and no further. I think it has something to do with this being his first command. Anyway, we're just friends." Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her. The counselor had no idea how this horrible misunderstanding had befallen this pair, but as he was bound by oath not to reveal the words of one to the other, he could think of nothing he could do to help...yet.  
  
"Well, we all need a friend. I'm sure that it is a great relief to the captain to know that he has an advocate. I hope he recognizes the sacrifices that you are making on his behalf."  
  
This made her blush. "I don't want him to be distressed over me. I've done that enough. I think he is going to be a very good captain. Maybe even a great captain, one day. I just want to offer my support and friendship."  
  
They chatted for a few more minutes before the counselor left her to her work. Returning to his own office, he sat before his monitor and initiated a sub-space transmission. People often wondered who counseled their counselor, but the answer was obvious. Another counselor. Braccon watched as the StarFleet symbol vanished from his screen to be replaced by the face of his superior. Counselor John Camp was a stern looking man with hair the colour of polished steel and eyes almost the same colour.  
  
"Hello Tray. What do you need?" Camp was never unfriendly, but he did have a habit of cutting to the chase.  
  
"I have a situation. I need advice," the younger admitted, succinctly.  
  
"Sure. No names and keep it vague. Shoot."  
  
"Ok, man likes woman, but thinks she just wants to be friend. In reality, she feels the same way he does, but thinks he wants to just stay friends. Both want more, both think it's not possible. The whole thing aches my heart."  
  
Camp let out a long whistle and shook his head at the brief story. "That is a sad situation. You any idea how they got their signals crossed?"  
  
"Not a clue," Tray said, shaking his head with a sigh.  
  
"Well, unfortunately the only thing you can do is listen, Tray. This is one of the hardest parts of this job, but the rules have to be followed regardless of how hard it becomes. It bares a resemblance to the prime directive in some ways. We have no way of knowing if this pairing is meant to be or not. If we did interfere, how do we know that it would not cause horrible consequences? What if it ultimately fails and one of them can't take it and does something drastic? Who's at fault?" Braccon sighed and nodded. He had suspected this would be the answer, but he just had to ask. It was his captain, after all.  
Friday was intriguing as usual. The food that Teagan chose to prepare from week to week was always interesting and he decided that arriving so early that she talked him into helping was worth it to spend this time with her. Cooking always put her in a good mood and though he would leave shortly after the food was ready, he loved seeing her so animated.  
  
Dinner on Saturday was too short, but he was happy that their tradition had not been broken. He knew it was foolishness, but he needed this time with her more each day. He walked her to the holodeck where the gathering had been moved to, since so many had expressed an interest. They found that the party had already started when they arrived.  
  
Loud music was playing and people were dancing in a very wild manner. He gave her an unsure look, but she just pulled him inside. "You promised to obey, sir." She reminded him as they made their way though the crowd.  
  
Ashton and her boys were already on the stage and Ash was singing in his sexy deep voice. Some of the female crewmembers were just standing nearby staring longingly at him.  
  
"See, I told you about him and his sex appeal. He uses it like a weapon at times." The captain nodded hesitantly, as the term 'sex appeal' was not the one she had used previously to describe the man on stage. She saw the captain to a table where Dr. Jewel was sitting and gave the older man a precautionary glare as she deposited the captain next to him.  
  
"Keep the captain company, will you Jewly? I think I'm being paged," she gave both men a smile and turned to go. The captain found there was something advantageous about the music after all. It kept the Doctor from talking.  
  
While the music was louder and more...percussive than what he would have selected to listen to in his quarters, Teagan's singing voice was strong and powerful. Ashton danced with her on stage and this seemed to gain Teagan perturbed glares from Aston's 'fans'. The captain was inclined to go along with the drooling young women, if it got the hands of the man with 'sex appeal' off of the woman that he preferred at the captain's table.  
  
The captain considered leaving many times, but Teagan's dramatic singing style caused him to dismiss the notion each time. Loud as they were, all of the songs told a story and most had a romantic message. If only Mr. Uker would keep his hands to himself, the captain felt he would almost be comfortable. The beat to the next song was slower, and he was struck when Lt. Apple came to his side and held out her hand to him, smiling.  
  
"Doc told me you don't like the faster stuff, but this one's slower. Would you do me the honor of a dance, sir?" the tall blonde asked. The captain left his seat and graciously took her hand.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Lauralee, the honor is mine," he replied. She grinned and let him lead her to an opening in the crowd.  
  
Slow dancing was not exactly Lauralee's scene, but for the captain she would make an exception. He was very smooth and seemed to float just above the floor as they moved together. As they danced, the tall blonde began to get an inkling as to what her best friend saw in this man. He was a perfect gentleman, and he was kind of cute if you could get past the yellow eyes and the sparkling skin.  
  
Surprisingly, after Lt. Apple's invitation, the captain received other offers to dance for the slower songs that followed. He wondered if this was too un-captain like behavior, but so far very little of his time as captain had born any resemblance to that of any of his former captains.  
  
Over three hours had passed when Mr. Uker grabbed the amplifying device from Teagan's hand and addressed the crowd while holding her hand. "Our dear Dr. Teagan, who so recently needed a Doctor herself..." he began, receiving some laughter here. He continued looking her thoughtfully in the eyes. "...is fortunately fully recovered and has provided us all with her exquisite taste in music, as she is the one who always hunts down the music we play. But our beautiful singer has yet to have the opportunity for a dance. I believe it is only fair that we allow her at least one dance with the partner of her choice before the evening comes to a close." Ashton pulled her off the stage and led her onto the dance floor.  
  
"Now, can anyone guess who would be our lovely red-head's first choice as a dance partner?" He held his hand up to his ear, dramatically and received more laughter this time. All eyes turned to the captain. After a pause, the crowd began to answer the question in a sort of chant. Teagan gave Ashton a punch in the arm that looked only half-playful and rolled her eyes. Still she locked eyes with her captain and her cheeks became flushed as Mr. Uker nudged her in the captain's direction.  
  
Data hated to embarrass her, but he could not think of a way out of this, short of sounding red alert, so he stood and moved towards her. As soon as he touched her hand Mr. Uker began to sing and the band was playing. No one else danced. They all just watched the ship's most talked about pair move slowly closer until the captain placed an arm around her waist and tried to get her to smile.  
  
"You did challenge me to prove I could dance, Miss Teagan," he told her gently as they moved together.  
  
"Remind me never to challenge you again, sir," she said softly and avoided his eyes.  
  
"We can leave if this is upsetting you. I have no wish to embarrass you." She gave her head a slight shake.  
  
"I'm ok," she assured him. "I did want to dance with you. I am glad you stayed. You even seemed to enjoy dancing during the slower songs," she finally smiled and he relaxed, returning she soft smile. It was good to finally have her in his arms again.  
  
"I must admit to being surprised by Miss Apple's invitation, but I have enjoyed this unusual experience. Perhaps I can acquire a taste for some of this music."  
  
She laughed. Her eyes even regained some of their happy glow. Grinning, he concentrated on leading her through some of the more extravagant moves that he had learned in his years, and glided with her across the floor. She had some talent in dancing herself and was able to keep time with him quite well. The captain decided that the song had been too short as he noticed it coming to an end. With a flourish, he spun Teagan around once more and drew her back just in time to the end of the song so that she was against him at the last beat. The crowd erupted into happy laughter and applause at their performance. Teagan blushed again as the captain moved to lead her back to the stage. Before he had even lowered his arm from her waist, one of the crowd shouted out the only word that Captain Data would have forbidden if he had know it was necessary.  
  
"Kiss!" came the unwanted shout.  
  
Some of the crowd gasped, some laughed nervously, and some groaned.  
  
Teagan paled.  
  
From the stage, Ashton tried to smooth things over. "Now, that was not very polite. Let's have a little control over our tongues, folks. Miss Teagan-" even though Mr. Uker had the amplification device, the person he just named still managed to interrupt him.  
  
"Miss Teagan is tired of having this entire ship sticking their noses into her life and her friendship...repeat friendship with the captain. Thank you for ruining my evening!" With her eyes ablaze, she stalked furiously out of the now silent room.  
  
This had stunned everyone, including the captain. Still he was the first to recover and without a word, moved to chase after Teagan. In another moment, Dr. Jewel, Lauralee and Ashton quickly followed. This left the whole room of remaining people to mill about uncomfortably, trying to determine who had been the culprit, but realizing that in a way they all had been.  
"Teagan, please stop," the captain called. He knew he could catch her if he really tried, but it could frighten her and she was upset enough. She had heard him, and finally slowed to a walk, still making progress down the corridor and away from the holodeck. She kept walking and when he caught up with her, would not meet his eyes.  
  
"I am sorry that the evening was spoiled," he told her, matching her slower pace.  
  
"It was not your fault, Captain. I just wish we could get people to leave us alone for two minutes. No one seems to-" the others calling as they caught up with them cut her off.  
  
"Teag, I'm really sorry, Hon," Ashton said taking hold of her arms. "If I had any idea that some jerk would pull something like that I wouldn't have done that. I thought it would be fun for you." He now turned to the Captain to address him as well. "Really, I meant nothing by it, sir. I just thought since you'd come and were dancing, that it would be no big deal." Ashton had let go of Teagan as he addressed the captain, and Lauralee was taking her best friend into her arms. Dr. Jewel had also reached them and stood at Teagan's side. The captain nodded at Mr. Uker.  
  
"I do not blame you for the unfortunate events in the holodeck, Mr. Uker. I do not believe that Miss Teagan does either. There simply is a portion of the crew that has taken to seeing more between Doctor Shayza and myself than exists," he stated trying to look more in control of himself than he felt. Teagan was not crying, but her eyes were closed as Lauralee held her, speaking quiet words of comfort in her ear.  
  
"I don't think the point is who to blame, but what should be done in the future to avoid a reoccurrence. As captain of this vessel, you need to do what ever is necessary to protect your crew-"  
  
"Don't go there, Sidney Jewel!" Teagan said sharply, without even opening her eyes.  
  
"I think this would be a good time for the men to say goodnight," Lauralee said, looking at the captain as she spoke. Her expression held concern for her friend, but also displayed her uncertainty in issuing a firm suggestion that could effect the captain of the ship. He only joined with the other two men and nodded his agreement to her decree.  
In Teagan's quarters, Lauralee brought her friend a cup of tea with a shot of brandy. Teagan took a sip from the cup and eyed the tall blonde suspiciously after a taste.  
  
"Sorry the plan when awry, Doc." Lauralee began, not wanting to push too hard. Teagan had said nothing since yelling at Doc Jewel in the corridor. She had not even said anything to the captain and that had struck Lauralee as very unlike her.  
  
"Thank you." Teagan said hoarsely. She didn't move from the chair, look up again or even show any expression on her face. Crying was something Lauralee had only seen once out of the Doc, and that had been baaad. Six years ago, when both had been assigned to the Bryant space station Doc had fallen for a rising medical researcher. Chan had swept the red head off her feet. He had wooed, dated, charmed, romanced and loved her for six months. They had been talking very seriously about marriage and Chan had taken some leave to visit with his family and surprise them with the happy news. Teagan had not been able to go, but the family had contacted her when Chan arrived and they had talked joyously for hours.  
  
What happened after Chan left his family was still a mystery. He had booked passage back to the station, but had never made it to the ship. No trace was ever found and while everyone assumed that he had been the victim of foul play, no body or DNA trace was ever located. Teagan had refused to believe that he was gone for months. When she was finally forced to face the truth, or what they knew of it, she had crumbled.  
  
It had been every hard for Doc to form lasting relationships after that. Even their friendship had almost been torn apart since Teagan did not want to be close to anyone for a long while, believing that they to would somehow be lost to her. That had not been the answer then, but maybe it wasn't such a bad idea now.  
  
"End it with him, Doc. If it's only a friendship and nothing more, than end it before it's more. He's nice and all, but I still think your reaching too high in hoping for him, if you do." Lauralee reached over and took Doc's hand. Golden eyes met her brown ones.  
  
"I'm not sure what I am going to do. I need to think. He has a way of getting under my skin and I can't seem to get him out of my head." The smaller woman said weakly.  
  
"Tell me the truth, Doc. I swear I won't tell a soul, do you love him?"  
  
"It has only been two weeks, well three on Monday."  
  
Lauralee chuckled, "Come on, Doc. You know people fall in love in a minute. Two weeks is long enough for you to fall a hundred times over. Is it love?"  
  
Teagan sighed, "It sure looks that way. For me anyway. But not for him and he seems very hesitant to even think about it becoming more. He needs and wants a friend whom he can trust in and talk to. I need something from him too; I'm just not sure what it is. I think it would be fine if everyone would just forget about us and not talk about everything that they see us do and what they think they don't see."  
  
"Not gonna happen, Doc. You and the Cap are the hot topic of the ship and I don't see it changing anytime soon. Well, Rissa Mognitara coming up pregnant by that ensign was hot for a day or two, but then someone saw you and our fearless leader walking to his quarters arm in arm for the first time and it was suddenly 'Rissa who?' What do you do in his quarters all by yourselves?" Lauralee went back to the replicator, ordered ale and downed it while standing there.  
  
"We have dinner, talk, feed his cat and sometimes play chess. I have even beaten him twice," she answered, but there was no joy in the statement.  
  
"Sounds like an old married couple," Lauralee said making it clear how disagreeable she thought that idea. She returned to her seat. "Let it go. I have seen Lt. Commander Oishii checking you out when you passed him before. He's hot," Lauralee licked her lips suggestively and Teagan laughed and shook her head.  
  
"Red is very handsome, but I don't think I could handle seeing the chief of security. Too risky," she said, blushing. Red was very, very nice looking.  
  
"And the captain of the whole damned ship isn't risky?"  
  
"You're talking a date. The captain and I-"  
  
"See each other for dinner and play time EVERY DAY, I call that dating even if play time does not involve finding out how good an android captain is in the sack," Lauralee looked like she was imagining just that, and Teagan kicked her.  
  
"Stop that! You think too loud and I don't think I'm old enough to overhear the salacious things you think about," Teagan said crossly, covering her ears. Lauralee just raised her eyebrows and giggled.  
  
"You can't tell me that you haven't thought about it, Doc. As good as he dances...if he's anywhere near as smooth in-"  
  
"Ok, ok, I'll admit to having thought about it once or twice!"  
  
Lauralee snorted with mirth, "Or twenty or thirty times...wonder if he's golden skinned everywhere. Does he have chest hair? How good a kisser is he? How good a-"  
  
"Out! I am very tired and I want you out!" Teagan said standing. She was smiling though. Lauralee laughed loudly, but did stand.  
  
"I just wanted to leave you with something interesting to think on, Doc." She said grinning with an impish twinkle in her eye.  
  
"I thought that you wanted me to break it off with him?" Teagan reminded her. The blonde looked confused for a moment.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Well, pick a direction and go all the way in that one. Nighty night, See ya in the morning, Doc. Sweet sexy dreams," she said and gave Teagan a hug.  
  
Teagan shook her head in disbelief at her friend. With a short chuckle, she went to her bedroom to prepare for a hot bath. She was just drying off when the computer signaled that she was being hailed. Grabbing her robe off the corner of her bed, she ran to her monitor and answered the hail.  
  
The very worried face of the captain appeared on the screen. She said, "Hi," and sunk slowly into her chair.  
  
"I wanted to be certain that you were...well," he said, looking very unsure of himself.  
  
"Thank you, sir. I am...well." He nodded at this. Trying, but failing to look like he believed her. Something in her chest tightened.  
  
"Your association with me has caused you much distress. If you wish to discontinue it, I would understand," he told her before he could argue himself out of it.  
  
"I am accustomed to adversity, Captain. It comes with the job," she said flatly. She did not want to have this conversation with him and she could see that it wasn't what he wanted.  
  
"This is not part of the job, Miss Teagan," he reminded her.  
  
She pulled her robe tighter around her, even though it had not loosened. "I am perfectly aware of what it is, Captain. I am just getting ready for bed, sir. I really don't want to discuss this now. So unless you are saying that it is you who does not want to continue our association, I will bid you good night and go to sleep."  
  
He looked stunned as he took in what she was wearing. "I beg your pardon, Miss Teagan. I did not intend to invade your privacy," he looked alarmed and about to sign off.  
  
"Captain, I didn't mean to insinuate that you had invaded my privacy. I just-" she sighed, he truly was high maintenance. "I will see you tomorrow, sir. Good night," she finished, not sure what she was trying to say anymore.  
  
"You are certain?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not certain of anything except that I want this day to be over. Good night, Captain." He looked like his stomach hurt, but she knew that was not possible.  
  
"Good night, Dr. Shayza," he replied and the image on her monitor faded.  
Two hours later, the captain was playing his violin, but was not really enjoying it as he usually did. It did not relax him; it did not sooth him. Playing with Stripes was not as enjoyable by himself and he could think of nothing to paint. He soon found himself walking towards the arboretum, but that was not where he wanted to go at this moment. Changing direction, he headed for the lounge.  
  
Upon entering, he saw his first officer, Commander Brent, staring out the window at the stars as they passed. The captain had been working on making friends with this man, so he approached him.  
  
"Captain, I had not expected to see you here, sir," the dark haired man said as he noticed his commanding officer advancing towards him. "Will you join me, sir?"  
  
"I would be pleased to, if I am not intruding," he added. The stars knew that he had done enough of that lately.  
  
"I think I could very much use some intrusion at this moment, sir. If I remember it right, you have never been married, correct, sir?" the captain gave a slight shake of his head. "You're a wiser man that I, sir. Wives are wonderful at times, but more often then not they are impossible," Brent told him twirling the empty glass that he had hold of, around as he stared absently at it.  
  
"You have had a disagreement with your wife, Commander?" the captain asked, wondering if he should.  
  
"Shelby has had too much exposure to children," Brent began, his wife was now one of the teachers for the ship's children and quite popular already, from what the captain had heard. Shelby Brent was a slight blonde with a lovely smile. She and the commander had been married for eight years, but were thus far childless. The captain assumed this was what his first officer was alluding to.  
  
The Commander leaned forward as though confiding a dearly held secret; "She wants to have a baby." At this close range, the captain could smell the synthehol on the man's breath. While the beverage had been created because its effects could be thrown off in times of urgency, it could also allow one to become quite tipsy if one wanted and it appeared that tipsy was what Commander Brent was going for just now.  
  
"I take it that you do not wish a child?" the captain asked.  
  
"Well, yes...but not just now! New ship, new mission, new captain, no offence sir," he added quickly.  
  
"None taken, Commander."  
  
As the man across from him did truly appear to be mostly relaxed, the Commander continued. "I just think it's a bad time and she says that I have said that before. May I ask you a question, sir?" the man asked, looking intensely at his captain.  
  
"Certainly."  
  
"Why are you here? I know that you don't require sleep, sir, but this seems to be the place to come at this time of night if one is trying to get away from something." Suddenly, the captain did not look so relaxed.  
  
"An unsettling event took place this evening," Data told him. At once, it looked as though the first officer was trying to throw off the effects of the synthehol. He sat up and looked the captain squarely in the eye.  
  
"Can I assume, captain, that like my own difficulties, yours also involved a member of the opposite sex?"  
  
The captain looked out the window and his expression hardened. "In part. In part, it also involves a large portion of the crew and assumptions that have been made. I had believed that as captain of this vessel, I would be shielded from this type of meddling into my personal life. It seems the exact opposite is true. My every action has been the topic of conversation since I took command." Frustration was evident in the yellow eyes that stared out the window at the stars.  
  
Commander Brent knew of course, to what the captain was referring. No need to spell it out, the whole crew was gossiping about him and a certain red headed woman and he was catching hell for it. He wanted to ask what had happened to bring this to a head, but something in the captain's expression told the Commander that now may not be a good time to ask. No doubt, he would find out soon enough anyway.  
  
"Establishing oneself with a new crew is difficult enough without this added wrinkle," Brent said, sympathetically. The captain turned his head to look back at his first officer. Regret now showing in his eyes.  
  
"I ask your pardon, Commander. I should not be speaking to you like this. Perhaps I should seek out our counselor."  
  
When his captain did not move to leave, Brent just shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry, Captain. I am not one of those officers who needs to believe that his captain is above being only human once in a while." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the captain reacted with surprise and Brent realized what he had just said. "I'm sorry, sir. Poor choice of words." To the Commander's astonishment, the captain smiled brightly and did not look in the least bit offended.  
  
"Actually Commander, I am pleased by your choice of words. I am an android, but I have always endeavored to be more human." Without even realizing it, his first officer had just complimented him profoundly. "Should you decide in favor of your wife's suggestion, I would be very pleased to welcome a new member of your family aboard my ship." Rising, the captain nodded approvingly at the still seated and stunned into silence man. "Good night, Commander," he said and turned to leave.  
  
Shaking himself out if his daze, the Commander called a good night back to his commanding officer. He was not what he expected, this captain. Maybe a little one would be nice about now... He wondered if Shelby would be asleep. Hell, maybe he would just wake her. 


	10. chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
The morning came too soon and Teagan did not feel ready for it when it did. She dressed and pulled her hair back in a clip without paying any mind to what she was doing. She had a light breakfast, but did not want to leave her quarters, so afterwards she just padded around it for a while, cleaning. She did not usually go to the lab on Sundays, but wanting something to take her mind off her troubles; she headed there anyway. She did not notice any of the worried glances that came her way as she was still very much in her own little world. The odd glances she received from the weekend staff in the lab also did not penetrate her shell, but she did acknowledge Lt. Arrkic, the Andorian shift leader, and spoke to him for several minutes before moving on to her own work.  
  
Just over an hour later, she thought it was past time to check her messages. Walking into her office, she instructed the computer to pull up her first message. After a short chirp, the voice of her captain filled the room. He was saying that he wanted her to look over a speech he had prepared for some meeting he was to lead. He had done this once last week, so she was not surprised, but still it seemed odd considering last night.  
  
"Computer, when was this message sent?"  
  
"Stardate 68007.8," came the reply.  
  
"Exact time?"  
  
"Ship's time 1547 hours."  
  
"Before dinner last night," she mumbled to herself. "Computer, transfer text portion of message to PADD, secure with my password."  
  
"Acknowledged," The usual chirp of compliance followed the reply. Teagan detached the PADD and looked over the captain's speech.  
  
"I don't know why he wants my opinion on this kind of stuff, I'm not a speech writer. Just part of his being high maintenance, I guess," she said to no one and left her office to check her staff and read the speech. Two hours later, she still was undecided as to whether she was still going to meet him for dinner or not. His speech was fine except for one tiny little thing she thought he should change. She sat staring at her monitor, trying to decide if she should call him or just send the suggestion to his ready room. She had never even been in his ready room.  
  
Loosing herself, she wondered what it looked like. Had he decorated it? Was he there now? He had given her clearance to ask the computer of his location five days ago after she had mentioned off hand that she had had to trick it into telling her where he was once. That had flattered her. He so often had a way of making her feel special, needed and cared for. No, this relationship was too dear to her to give up just yet.  
  
"Computer, is the captain in his ready room?"  
  
"Affirmative." She sighed, opening her desktop monitor, and asked the computer to hail him. Her heart beat faster when his face appeared on the screen. His eyes looked strange, she noticed at once. He was worried she was calling to give him bad news. She could feel it. She could not keep him wondering. She smiled and greeted him.  
  
"I hope I am not disturbing you, Captain. I just wanted to give you my notes on the speech you sent for me to look over yesterday. I hope you are well." She never knew when someone would come in her office or his, so the formality over the ship's comm seemed the most appropriate thing to do.  
  
He looked like he was searching her expression for something before he spoke. "I am well, Doctor, thank you. You are not disturbing me and I am pleased that you were able to read through my speech so promptly. You could have just sent it back, if that is what you would have preferred," he said carefully. She smiled, he was asking and she would indeed answer his unspoken question.  
  
"No, sir. It is the duty of your officers to always do their utmost to support their captain and see that he has the answers that he requests of them. I would never wish to leave my captain in isolation when he had asked for my assistance," she told him. His eyes remained transfixed on her for a moment as he digested this and its meaning. Slowly he gave her a gentle smile.  
  
"May I ask you a question, Doctor?"  
  
"Of course, sir," she replied.  
  
"How many messages did you receive this morning?" His question seemed almost like a non sequitur.  
  
"I don't know, I just called up the first and it was from you. Why?"  
  
"Please Doctor, look at your messages. I will wait," he told her. She looked every confused. What in the world could he be thinking of?  
  
"Alright, if you say so, sir. Computer, please pull up all my unread messages." The monitor replaced the image of the captain with a text list of the names of whom she had received messages. The list had 103 entries. "Computer, return to the captain please." When his face came back up, he saw a stunned expression on her face.  
  
"Why do I have 103 new messages from all different people, sir?" she asked, since he seemed to know.  
  
"I received 86 new messages this morning. Did you read any of them?" she shook her head. "I believe you will find, as I did, that they are apologies. Some were from members of the crew that were not even present at the dance lest evening. I believe your plea was heard by the whole ship, Miss Teagan."  
  
She had no idea how to react to this. "What should we do now?" she asked him, still in a state of shock.  
  
"That would depend on what your dinner plans are for this evening," he told her.  
  
She gave him a sheepish grin. "The same as they have been for almost three weeks, sir."  
  
He smiled, pleased. "Then perhaps we should allow the crew a chance to keep their collective noses out of your life and friendship with the captain...and have dinner in the lounge."  
  
She gave him a look that told him she had not expected him to say that location. "Why the lounge? Shouldn't we eat in your quarters or even in mine, to show them that we want our privacy?"  
  
He shook his head. "I do not believe so. As you have not had time to read any of the messages, which I assume will be at least similar to the ones I received, I should tell you that 68 percent expressed a concern that our friendship was destroyed as a result of the unfortunate events of last evening. For the sake of ship's moral, I think it important that we be seen together and behaving normally."  
  
She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. "Ship's morale?" she repeated. He nodded. "I see. If you think it's that important. After all I guess it would fall under the heading of supporting my captain and seeing that his crew did not loose confidence in him," she said with a very amused look in her eye.  
  
He knew his was pushing it, but he nodded anyway. "Exactly. Shall I meet you outside of the lounge at 1800 hours?" he asked trying to sound casual.  
  
She tilted her head to the side and shot him a questioning look. "Why outside of the lounge? Oh, I see....you want us to walk in together." He nodded again and she sighed. "It will be as you say, Captain," she said and signed off so he could not see her almost fall off her chair laughing.  
  
He was priceless, she decided. And he had a way of pulling at her heart that made her feel like a slave to his will at times. Good thing he was not the kind of man who would take advantage of that fact if he knew about it, she thought to herself. On second thought....oh, god, I have been spending too much time with Lauralee...  
The captain was just approaching the lounge when he detected the distinct scent of cinnamon emanating from somewhere behind him. He turned to see Teagan Shayza walked calmly down the corridor, towards him.  
  
"Hi," she said smiling and he wished for the thousandth time that he could have done just as the voice had suggested last evening and kissed her. The impulse became harder to resist every time he saw her and he feared that one day he would simply do as it commanded and press his lips to hers. That second would be wonderful, but the next one where she threw a glass of wine over his head and told him that she would never again be joining him for his evening meal was the reason he was still able to resist this impulse.  
  
"Good evening, Miss Teagan. I am happy to see you looking so well. Did you have the opportunity to read any of your messages?" he asked, his eyes full of a contented glow.  
  
"You may not believe me, but I read every one. I think you're right and it is important for us to do this here tonight. Shall we?" she said and nodded, he offered her his arm. She grinned and came to his side and slipped her arm through his.  
  
"I agree with your comments on my speech," he told her as the doors to the lounge opened and he led her through them.  
  
She couldn't believe that he was talking about this now, since as soon as the doors were opened every eye in the place was fixed on them. She held her breath as they made their way to the captain's table and let it out only when she was safely in her seat and he was in his, filling her line of vision.  
  
"This is the quietest I have known this room to be when it is filled with people," he noted, leaning forward so that only she would hear him.  
  
She finally smiled. "Let's really scare them and have a big fight right here," she suggested mischievously. He gave her a disapproving look. "Oh, I had to say it. They have been giving me hell for a long enough time. It would serve them right." He now looked disappointed in her. "Ok, I give. I'll behave, but for you not them." He smiled again. Somehow, that made it all better.  
  
Their server even seemed especially pleased to see them tonight and took the order that Teagan gave for both of their meals as cheerfully as possible. She rolled her eyes at the man's back as he raced off.  
  
"This is too tempting you know. It makes me want to pretend to tell you that I never want to see you again or go to the opposite extreme and jump into your lap and kiss you." His eyes got very wide at this so she held up her hands blushing. "Relax, I'm not going to do either of those, but please tell me we can get out of here after a very quick dinner, Captain. The temptation to do something is just too strong for me to combat for very long."  
  
The captain still looked stunned, and his eyes were still wide as he answered, "I see no reason why we cannot leave directly after our meal, and I believe that you still owe me a walk in the arboretum, Miss Teagan." His voice also betrayed his discomfort.  
  
She grinned at him and released her breath again. Breathing normally had been incredibly difficult since entering this room. "You got yourself a deal, sir."  
  
She was tempted to order real wine with the meal, but figured that it could cause her resolve to crumble and if it did she would most likely lean towards the 'jumping into his lap' direction. He was not truly relaxed either, and somehow that made it easier for her.  
  
Finally it was over and he rose to help her from her seat. Arm in arm they walked from the room with as much dignity as they could muster.  
  
"Breathe, Miss Teagan. I believe Dr. Jewel will order you not to see me again if I have to bring you to sickbay due to oxygen deprivation."  
  
She laughed and did as he told her, but looked him sincerely in the eye. "The only one who can order me not to continue my friendship with you, is you, Captain. Did you feed Stripes?"  
  
He looked thrown off by her changing the subject. "No, I was delayed on the bridge," he admitted.  
  
"Well, let's go feed her and then we can go to the arboretum. I think I need another glass of wine, and maybe real wine," she told him with a frustrated sigh.  
  
"You will require a special code to be able to order the replicator to produce anything other that synthehol, Miss Teagan," he cautioned her.  
  
She grinned and gave his arm a squeeze. "Fortunately I think I know someone who can provide just the right codes," she eyed him but he looked doubtful.  
  
"Why do you wish to become intoxicated? And I am not sure I should allow you to do so, as you have recently recovered form a toxin entering your system that caused you to require being placed in a coma for-"  
  
"You are no fun, Captain. I can see that I have got to work on your more playful side and bring it out more. Helping you with speeches, having dinner, keeping you from thinking you are on the wrong career path and providing you with someone who you can talk to is all well and fine, but as your friend I think we need to play more," she chided him.  
  
"We play chess," he defended. She laughed. Her eyes were finally aglow with the amused expression he was used to seeing on her face when he was teasing her and she looked close to doing something...silly. He liked it when he could push her there.  
  
"That's not exactly what I was going for," she told him rolling her eyes.  
  
"You do not like playing chess with me?" he pretended to look hurt. She poked him in the side.  
  
"Stop it, we are in public and people are going be shocked when I- you do this to me too often and I think you enjoy it." He had to grin. She shook her head at him, but grinned too. They arrived at his quarters and she collapsed on his couch sighing heavily as he went to feed his cat.  
  
Teagan kicked her shoes off and stretched out on the couch. She stared at the ceiling, thinking. "Games that have you pitted against the ship's computer would be pointless, I imagine," she said, still trying to think of a more interesting game then chess.  
  
"I like poker," he offered.  
  
"That's a man's game," she said, rejecting his suggestion.  
  
"That is not an accurate statement," he retorted, bending to place the bowl of food on the floor. "Aboard the Enterprise, I played with many of the command crew of which two were female. At times, other females would sit in. Gender is not related to the game." Suddenly he stood over her and she was staring at his face.  
  
"You're blocking my view," she said. He looked up at the spot of ceiling that she had been staring at. She giggled as he looked back down at her, confused.  
  
"Your view of what?" he asked.  
  
"The ceiling. Sit down and let me think," she said waving him away.  
  
"Could you not think on the way arboretum? You did promise to attend me there. You still have not given full consideration to poker." She sat up and shook her head at him.  
  
"I had something else in mind, something that involved less mind and more body...sorry, that came out bad. I mean something more physical...or active. Like mountain climbing, but fun." She stood now, slipping into her shoes, she grinned at him.  
  
"I take it you would not find mountain climbing fun?" he reached out for her hand and gently pulled her to the door.  
  
"No, falling and breaking every bone in my fragile human body does not excite me," she said, pulling her hand from his and slipping it through his arm almost absently.  
  
"The holodeck safeguards would not allow that to happen and neither would I," he told her, all trace of humor gone from his features.  
  
Even looking like this, his eyes enchanted her. She grinned reassuringly at him. "I know, Sunshine, I know. Still I would like something that would be more active."  
  
"Football, baseball, soccer, basket ball? Did you just call me Sunshine?" he asked stopping in the middle of the corridor.  
  
Teagan blushed slightly. "Yeah, I did. I can't help it, I like your eyes and your comment about wanting to change them the other day has had me thinking about...them. You were just teasing about that, weren't you, Captain?" He began to walk again, pulling her gently along.  
  
"I have thought about it over the years. But if it would truly upset you so, I will refrain," he assured her.  
  
"Good, now back to your suggestions. There are only two of us, so unless we invite others to play with us they would not work. Now that would be a good way to help you assimilate with your new crew, but you and I would be back to formal speech and actions, and we have been getting rather lax in that area when we are alone. And it's creeping out more each day, it seems." He had no idea what she meant.  
  
"I do not understand? You did just call me by what could be considered a nickname, but I do not believe that I have behaved improperly," he said rather defensively.  
  
"Oh? Then you did not notice that you were holding my hand as we left your quarters just now? I still wonder if walking arm in arm is such a good idea, and to tell you the truth I was shocked the first time you did it, but I do think holding hands is over that line, don't you, sir?" she question, her voice becoming a bit high pitched.  
  
She was correct. He had taken hold of her hand, but he had wanted to touch her, not her blouse or uniform when she was wearing it, but her skin. That tightening feeling returned and got worse at the recollection of her mentioning a line before. He had mentioned a line too, but had been talking about her not calling him casually by name in public. Her line was obviously the one were if he could get her to cross it with him, he would have convinced her to allow a kiss. He wondered if he was developing an obsession with her. It seemed that in one way or another he was always thinking about her. Deciding where they would have dinner, as she rarely seemed to want to make that choice herself. Planning what they would do after dinner. Thinking about what he would talk with her about before and after dinner. Perhaps he should consult with the counselor and be sure that he was not obsessing.  
  
"Captain? Are you listening to me?" she asked, pulling him out of his deeper thoughts. No, this was not possible, he was quite capable of doing and thinking about more then one thing at a time. He was capable of carrying on a conversation with her and thinking about the possibility that she was causing him to become mentally unbalanced....unless he already was....?  
  
"Yes, I am listening. I suppose that holding hands is indeed over the line...in public. I will be certain that I have placed your hand on my arm when we are leaving behind...privacy. Tennis, golf, fencing?" He decided to take her back to the subject of a game.  
  
"Too much of an opportunity for you to hit me with a ball, too boring, too...wrong. Something fun, maybe a little childish. What kind of games do the kids in school play?" she said, thinking out loud.  
  
"I did not attend school. I did go through StarFleet Academy, but I do not think I would enjoy those games," he said sounding like he was also thinking out loud.  
  
She stopped walking and looked at him. "Bad memory? They pick on you?" she asked sympathetically.  
  
He looked embarrassed, but nodded, "I was the intended victim of more then one practical joke," he admitted, reluctantly.  
  
"How many?" she asked.  
  
"I do not want to tell you," he said and pulled her along again.  
  
"Oh, come on, Captain. More than five?" her eyes were twinkling.  
  
"Yes," he said, giving her a warning look.  
  
She ignored it. "More then twenty?"  
  
He sighed. "Yes, I think we should go to the holodeck." Maybe he could distract her.  
  
"Ok, more then forty?"  
  
No such luck. "Your captain orders you to forget he told you that, Dr. Shayza," he said looking her intensely in the eye. He was not angry, but he really did not want to tell her. Her eyes went wide for a moment, but she recovered quickly and walked beside him in silence for a moment, just looking ahead.  
  
"It will be as you say, Captain," she said softly, but then muttered under her breath. "More than forty, wow."  
  
He decided at that moment, he had lost his edge with her. He was not sure when it had happened, exactly but it was definitely gone. She no longer thought of herself as a subordinate that he deemed worthy of allowing to be in his presence at times. She respected him, but she finally realized that he thought of her as an equal in their time together. He smiled to himself. This could be an important accomplishment. Perhaps he had not failed in his wish to create a more intimate relationship with her. But he would have to pay very close attention to how he proceeded from this point forward. Still this could be fun at the same time....  
  
He led her to the holodeck and programmed his selection while she watched. Once the computer had created the proper setting the doors opened and closed again once he and Teagan had entered.  
  
Teagan walked deeper into the very odd looking forest, stepping slowly. The trees that surrounded her were covered in very odd leaves that were all shaped like cups and in colors that varied from light green to pale blue to lilac. The ground was covered in a moss like carpet of a rich twilight colour. It was breathtakingly beautiful. She moved to touch one of the leaves and noticed that an odd echoing filled the surrounding area. It came from behind her, from her left and right and from in front of her all at once. She turned to look at the captain to question him about this, but he was gone.  
  
"Captain! Where are you?" Teagan's words reverberated through out the room. The effect was not unpleasant, but would take some getting used to.  
  
"You must find me. That is the game, Teagan." His voice called from behind her, in front of her and in her ear. No need to yell, it seemed.  
  
"We're going to play hide and seek?" she asked the air.  
  
"Or it could be called tag. The trees in this forest reflect sound in a way that will help you to win against me," he said.  
  
"What do you mean, help me to win?" she asked, as though challenged.  
  
"The special shape of the leaves on the tress here are such excellent conductors of sound that I will not be able to distinguish the direction of the sounds you make between that of an echo," came the answer.  
  
"So it balances the playing field. And the cover of the foliage will further help to even things out," she said as she began to hunt slowly for him. "What rules are we playing with? Can you move once you hide?" she asked, jumping out from behind a bluish tree. He was not around the other side of it.  
  
"No, or yes. I will let you decide," he said.  
  
"Ok, I can but you can't. Now stay right where you are and let me find you," she said grinning, she moved deeper into the thick forest.  
  
"How is that fair?" he asked.  
  
"Because I still bet you would recognize whether you have checked behind a particular tree or not and would systematically go through the room in a pattern until you found me. If I can move, it will throw you off," she explained. Wherever he was, she could picture him considering this. His familiar surprised 'humph' could be heard a second later.  
  
"Agreed," he answered.  
  
It took her seventeen minutes to find him, but they talked the entire time. His turn was a little different since she could move. Every movement that she made sounded around her, but so did his. It was hard to tell if she should bolt or stay where she was. In the end, she had her back to a tree and was edging away from where she thought he was and backed up right into his arm. He put his other arm out to block her planned escape and looked triumphantly down at her.  
  
"You look very pleased with yourself, Sunshine," she said grinning. He leaned closer.  
  
"I am," he told her. "You were right though, Teagan. This is more fun then chess," he admitted and she laughed. Putting her hand on his chest, she nodded.  
  
"I told you. This is a perfect place for this, too. I'm glad I could help you to loosen up a bit. Actually with the stress of the last few days, I think we both needed to loosen up."  
  
He nodded and put his hand over hers. He had just about convinced himself to kiss her, when it almost looked like she was falling again. He moved to grab her, but she slipped out of his arms...and was running.  
  
"Catch me if you can," she called and disappeared behind a tree. Despite himself he laughed.  
  
"It was your turn, Teagan," he called.  
  
"Nope, you did not tag me so it's still your turn," her laughter surrounded him. It took him eleven minutes and twenty-seven seconds, but this time he came up from behind her and grabbed her waist, spun her around and pinned her decisively between a tree and his body.  
  
"You are here by tagged," he told her. She had let out a yelp when he had grabbed her and was still breathing hard, but grinning.  
  
"I admit defeat. For now," she said slowly looking up at him with her eyes full of mischief. He had her trapped, so she knew she was not going to be able to slip away this time, but at this moment, she really didn't want to move. He surrounded her. His arms encircled her to keep her from escaping. She felt like she might have been able to catch her breath if his closeness was not giving her another reason to become breathless. She decided it was the time to kick at that line again. Leaning in, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. She wanted much more, but it was a start, she decided.  
  
He did not look upset, just surprised. "You kissed me," he said, confusion in his voice and face, but he did not move away or release her.  
  
"Well, yes. After all, we're friends. I have kissed Jewly and even Lauralee when she was sick or heartbroken over some guy. You know I've kissed Ashton. Kissing is an expression of affection and I care very much for you. Besides, you hold my hand and have even hugged me before, so you're just as guilty of line hopping as I am." She shrugged, smiled and looked at him as though daring him to dispute her. She prayed he wouldn't.  
  
"I care very much for you as well, Miss Teagan," he told her in a whisper. She looked back to his eyes just in time to see him close them and lean closer. He kissed her gently on her cheek and she felt her body grow warm. She closed her own eyes and he kissed her again, moving closer to her lips. When his lips touched hers, she thought she would melt into him. Her arms went around him and she pressed her body against his.  
  
She was not sure if the kiss lasted seconds or an hour. It was only when she realized that she would need to breathe soon that she loosened her hold on him. Looking into his eyes once again, she had no idea what to say. What had provoked him into doing that? They had just been talking about his damn line, why would he now cross it? No, not cross. This was a broad jump over it! It felt as though time had stopped and everything she had been aching for was finally in her grasp. But the expression in his eyes caused her to freeze.  
  
He had given her some of his background in the last three weeks. He had been without emotions for his first thirty-six years of life. For years, after he installed his emotion chip it had been as though he was going through a childhood. Learning to deal with and understand emotions at the age of thirty-six would be hard for anyone. He had had to do so while also dealing with his responsibility as second officer of the Enterprise. All in all, it had been almost impossible.  
  
She knew that he had dated some without the chip, but had not been able to get him to divulge any information about his love life with it. She did have clues as to how he thought, though. He liked order, routine and consistency. He did things right or not at all. For example, when he helped her cook, he only did the tasks with which he was comfortable. He would chop, slice, clean or put things away. He knew where ever item in her kitchen belonged and he would help fetch or return to order. But he would not stir, add ingredients or test for doneness. This rule did not always hold true, but if he could get away with it, he tried. Even this game could fall under this rule. He knew he would be able to find her easily. He had to give himself disadvantages in order for it to be fair.  
  
Now, looking into the eyes she was coming to love, she saw uncertainty and hesitation. Did he regret what had just happened? She knew that if pushed to, she would have to give him an out, or lose him altogether. She would have to think of one, but he would have to work for it...and she was going to make sure he wanted one at all.  
  
"Are you aware of how over the line that was?" she said, her voice only catching with nervousness once. He looked very ill at ease as well. Did he regret it? Had he done it on impulse but had lost his head?  
  
"You said that we are friends and care for one another. If a kiss is appropriate for you, how is it not for me?" he defended, ignoring the point.  
  
Her eyes went wide with disbelief. Did he truly believe that she would buy that? "You kissed me three times. One and two were innocuous. Number three you are going to have to explain," she said wondering if she should sound challenging, hopeful or just confused. Was it truly only friendship that he was trying to express with that kiss?  
  
His eyebrows where just about to climb up his forehead. "I do not understand your reaction. I kissed you in the same place that Mr. Uker kissed you. He did not kiss you on the cheek, but you did not question kiss one or two," he told her.  
  
She was momentarily stunned into silence. She had set herself up for this with out even realizing it. She had just mentioned the kiss with Ashton. She would never tell Data, but that had not been the only time Ashton had kissed her on the lips. Still, this was different; she was not in love with Ashton and never had been. It hit her that the ball was back in her court. If she told him that she took exception to his kiss, the only reason she could give was the one she could not say.  
  
"You have a point," she said, coming to terms with the fact that he had only meant it as an expression of friendship. She felt like the wind had just been let out of her sails. "But I do not think that it would be seen by the rest of the crew as just a simple expression of our friendship. It could be misinterpreted," she told him, choosing her words carefully.  
  
He nodded, "I do not remember any of my former captain's kissing anyone in my presence. I agree that it could be misunderstood. I misunderstood the kiss I witnessed between you and Mr. Uker." He was looking away, thinking.  
  
She swallowed a deep sigh and nodded instead. "Exactly," she said. She was very much aware that he was still holding her close. How ironic that while in his arms was where she had wanted to be, she now wanted him to let her go desperately. She felt like his touch was breaking her heart.  
  
"We should only kiss if we are alone," was his conclusion. Now she was glad that he was still holding her. If he hadn't been, her buckling knees would have left her on the ground. She grabbed at his arms to steady herself and he tightened his grasp. "Are you alright, Teagan?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"I think I have been standing in one place for too long. Can I sit, please?" she was forced to ask, as he still held her. He released her body, but captured her hand in order to help her to the ground.  
  
He crouched down in front of her. She was too pale, he decided. She was upset about the kiss, but he was not going to back down unless she insisted on it. He had wanted that kiss. Waited for that kiss. And she had responded to it. She had not pulled away or slapped his face or ran from him. She had stayed in his arms and returned his kiss. But she had also responded to Mr. Uker's kiss. Relationships were much easier to understand without emotional involvement. It looked so easy when one was on the outside looking in.  
  
While she had made it clear that she felt there were certain lines that they should not cross, perhaps he could convince her to move it a little. "I also believe it should not be a frequent occurrence," he said, making it clear that he was not finished with this topic.  
  
"I'm not sure I follow you, sir," she said, astounded they were still talking about this.  
  
"It would seem to me that this from of expression would lose its meaning if overused. I could be mistaken, but for now, I believe that it would be best to proceed slowly. However, I wish to be sure that you are aware of how much value I place on my friendship with you. You have assisted in my assimilation with my crew. In effect, you have acted as a bridge enabling me to better understand them and for them to be able to understand me. I will never forget that, Teagan."  
  
She looked embarrassed by his praise and looked at her feet for a moment. "Thank you. I guess even captain's need help once in a while," she said slowly.  
  
"This one does. Have you rested sufficiently?" he asked. She nodded, but before she could stand, the captain came out of his crouch and spoke again. "Good, because there is one additional thing I would like you to remember," he said as he extended a hand to assist her in standing.  
  
"What's that?" she asked brushing moss from her uniform.  
  
He grinned and reached out to touch her lightly on the tip of her nose. "I tagged you and that makes you 'it'." Without another word, he turned quickly from her and disappeared back into the forest.  
  
"Men, regardless of what they are made of, where all made with the intent to drive women crazy." She muttered this, but due to the sound reflection of the foliage the captain still heard her and grinned. 


	11. chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Teagan collapsed into her bed exhausted. He was getting way to good at tag and seemed to enjoy teasing her about how fast he could find her no matter how she manipulated the environment in an attempt to thwart him. They played this game three times a week now and for months, it had been her goal to find him in less than five minutes. She had even asked for permission to see his schematics hoping that they would help her find a way to beat him faster. It had helped a little, but finding out and understanding what went into her captain's construction had become an adventure of its own.  
  
They had had many fascinating conversations on the subject of what made the captain tick and she knew that he was rather pleased that she was interested in learning.  
  
As the captain enjoyed consistency, even their evenings together had eventually developed a pattern. They dinned in the lounge on Mondays and Thursdays. They ate in the captain's quarters on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Teagan's quarters were the setting for dinner on Wednesday, and Sunday and of course Friday. Knowledge of the Captain's many interests and talents quickly became known and his weekly schedule stretched to include activities that did not include Teagan. While she was playing before larger crowd on Thursday, he too was also playing music. His talent for the violin had provided him with his first invitation to participate in a social activity with other crewmembers. This had also led to his being invited to join the dramatically talented people on board the Repulse for their play rehearsals on Saturdays. Conversation with one of the members of the quartet with whom he played on Thursdays had gained him a spot at a poker table on Sunday afternoons.  
  
In her bed, Teagan rolled over and sighed. His life was becoming very full, but he still had time to chase her around the holodeck three times a week and he liked it too much for her peace of mind. If anyone on the ship or anywhere else, for that matter, had ever seen them when they were alone together, she doubted she could explain what they would see.  
  
His line in the sand had not vanished, but it had definitely....moved. He past comment about kissing being overused really meant that he intended to kiss her only once a day. Well, twice really. He would kiss her on the cheek in greeting if they met in quarters or at the end of the evening if not. But that was the easy part to deal with. He would also manage to sneak in a kiss that made her stomach fill with butterflies somewhere during the evening. If they played tag, he would sneak it in there, but never where she expected it. It became a game of its own. Will he or won't he? Well, he always did, but always managed to take her by surprise as though he sensed that it added to the intensity.  
  
"One day I'm going to knock this android with the strength of ten men on his butt and rip all his clothes off. Where will his little line be then!" she groaned, and promptly fell asleep.  
It was 0112 and the captain was in his ready room. The Repulse was scheduled for standard crew rotation in five days and was heading to Starbase 73 where ten crewmembers would leave and ten would join. This occurred normally every three months and this would be the second rotation since he had taken command. He scanned the files of those who would be transferring aboard, but was distracted when Lt. Commander Xan informed him that he had an incoming transmission from StarFleet Command.  
  
He greeted Admiral Sakura and quickly absorbed the details of the mission she detailed for him and ended the transmission. He would need to inform Commander Brent of the slight change of plan, but first he had to do something else....urgently.  
  
He came to Teagan's door and rang for admittance. She could be asleep, as it was only 0147, but a second after he rang; the door opened for him as it usually did when he arrived for dinner. He entered quickly, now assuming that she was awake and had opened it for him. Oddly, the room was dark.  
  
"Teagan," he called. Maybe she was still in her bedroom. "Teagan," he called again moving closer to the door that he had never passed. "Where are you?" His query was proceeded by an alarming thump from the next room. He wondered if he should see if she was alright.  
  
"Captain?" came her confused reply.  
  
"Yes. Do you require assistance?" he called back though the door. He heard a flurry of movement and then the door opened. She stood before him in a thin silk robe of gold and royal blue. She had obviously been in a rush to put it on and was still pulling it closed and tying the waist belt. He noticed that the gown beneath was also of the same fabric and colours, even if there was only a string thin piece of material gracing her soft shoulder. The gown and robe went no further down then her knees and she was barefoot. Her hair was a mess. It stuck out in every direction and even fell over her left eye. He could not resist and reached out to brush the hair away from her face. Even in her disheveled state, he found her beautiful.  
  
"I woke you?" it was only half a question.  
  
"Yes, and unless I slept through dinner, I want to know why you did...Captain." She did not sound happy. And he doubted that what he had to tell her would improve her mood.  
  
"I just received new orders from StarFleet. I am to proceed to Starbase 72 with Dr. Jewel and Lt. Commander Oishii at 0800 hours this morning," he told her, even in the dim light she could see that something about this was upsetting him, but she didn't understand what.  
  
"You woke me up to tell me of a course correction?" she asked, still sounding irritated. He shook his head. "Then what are you talking about?"  
  
"The Repulse will continue on course to Starbase 73 for the scheduled crew rotation. I will be heading by shuttle to Starbase 72," he said softly. Finally, it was making sense.  
  
"How long?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.  
  
"Five days," he said reaching out for her hand.  
  
"No baby new potatoes in butter sauce for you tonight, huh?" she said, her expression unreadable. Her reference was to the dish her captain favored and asked for every time she cooked for him. She had been known to tease him that potatoes were boring and that while he was a technological marvel, his palate was woefully unsophisticated.  
  
"No food at all for five days," he corrected. She looked taken aback.  
  
"What, they're going to starve you? Oh! Never mind." She was always startled when she forgot that he wasn't human and was abruptly reminded. He, however, liked it when she forgot this fact. Using his hold on her hand he pulled her to a couch and ordered the lights up just a bit. "Why is Jewly going?" she asked once they were seated.  
  
"I was not informed of the reason, only that he was to join me," he admitted. She looked confused.  
  
"That's odd, why wouldn't they tell you? It's not classified and you can't tell me, is it?" she asked. He shook his head.  
  
"I always inform you if something had a classified status and I cannot speak to you of it. You know that," he reminded her, gently. She nodded.  
  
"It is strange. Well....what time is it?" she asked with a yawn.  
  
"0152," he told her.  
  
"And you're leaving in...six hours," she choked. That did not leave much time. "I could still get with Jewly before-"  
  
"No, Teagan. I was led to believe that it was a meeting with a superior from StarFleet Medical. We may be loosing our CMO soon, but it is none of our business until he is ready to tell us."  
  
Her eyes got wide. "You suspect that he's being promoted?" she said grinning with glee. She could think of no one more worthy.  
  
"It is a possibility, but at this point that would only be speculation. Please, do not question him, Teagan," he cautioned again.  
  
"You should not tell me these things if you're not going to let me use the knowledge." She yawned again. "Excuse me. You kept me up late last night, ran me ragged and now you wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me that I won't be seeing you or Jewly for five days." Another yawn escaped her. "Do you have something against my sleeping?"  
  
He looked offended. "I do not have anything against your sleeping. I simply thought you would want to know why I was not here for dinner tonight or the following four nights." He released her hand and looked away. He had just informed her that he would be forced to break their pattern of consecutive dinners together for the first time. Why was she talking about sleep and Dr. Jewel? For six month, he had spent every evening in her presence and he had thought that they were as close to being in love as he was capable of inspiring in her. Perhaps he had overestimated his importance to her.  
  
He was hurt.  
  
Would she never love him no matter how much time he gave her? Was he just not capable of this type of relationship? He stood suddenly. He felt close to tears or anger and did not want to display either to her. He moved towards the door, but stopped. He still had to ask her a favor.  
  
"Will you care for Stripes while I am gone?" he asked, facing the door. He could hear her rise from the couch and pad across the floor behind him. She touched his back.  
  
"Of course. Why don't you bring her here? She's already broken all of my breakables. I'm sorry, Sunshine. I'm grumpy if I don't get enough sleep," she explained, still sounding tired.  
  
He wanted to believe that was the only reason, but was not convinced. "I will bring her here before I depart." He moved for the door, but she caught his hand and pulling away could cause her injury.  
  
"Why can't you bring her back now? I need to talk with you. I'm going to jump in the shower. Come back and make me some coffee, ok?" He nodded his agreement, not believing he could speak at this moment, and moved to go.  
  
She released his hand and watched him exit her quarters without a backward glance. She yawned again and headed for her bedroom and the shower. He was acting odd, but maybe it was because she was still asleep.  
  
The hot water hit her back and she sighed in ecstasy. A bath would have been more relaxing, but today was obviously not going to be a day to be relaxed. She needed to be on her toes...at lease until he left. Suddenly it hit her. He was going to be gone for five days. No dinners, no tag, no chess, no walks in the arboretum and no kisses. Closing her eyes, she remembered his last kiss. He lips pressed to hers, his body and arms holding her close- Her knees failing made her decide that this might not be the best place to daydream about kissing her captain.  
  
Teagan was just getting out of the shower, when she smelled her coffee and heard a cat pawing at her bedroom door. She realized that she had forgotten to lock the door and pulling her towel close, waited for Stripes to enter before moving in front of the now locked door to dress. Stripes wound around her legs and when she sat on the bed, her rubbed the cat's back. It was going to be so strange having her here and not the captain. "What do you think of his kisses?" she asked the feline as she nuzzled her.  
  
Stripes meowed her answer.  
  
"I like them too," Teagan said and scooped her up in her arms. She was dressed now except for her shoes, but would wait on that. She unlocked the door and entered with Stripes.  
  
"He's leaving us, Stripes," she said, loud enough for the captain to hear. He was sitting in a chair in the living room looking at his feet. He slowly looked at her as she entered. She walked over to the couch and saw her cup of coffee on the table. She sat in front of it. Lifting Stripes up so she could look her in the eye, she continued her conversation with the puffball.  
  
"He's going off to do that captain stuff without even a thought to us poor captain's women. We are going to be left to fend for ourselves for five whole days. What are we going to do, Sweetie? I hope we remember to eat." Stripes meowed her agreement that this was a terrible turn of events.  
  
"I am certain that your stomach will inform you if you neglect it," he said sounding very sarcastic. She released Stripes who ambled over to him, seeming to know she would not get the chance to do this again for a while.  
  
"You're grouchy. Who's the one who lost sleep today?" she said, her tone just as biting.  
  
"It that all that concerns you? That and whether Dr. Jewel is being promoted?" he sounded angry. She was not used to this from him, but having a bad temper herself, it didn't phase her....much.  
  
"Did you not hear me talking to Stripes about being abandoned?"  
  
He stood, fully angry. "Foolish talk with my cat was not what I was expecting. And I did not expect you to talk to her. You asked me to come back to talk. What did you want to talk about?" he was just shy of yelling.  
  
"I wanted to ask if you wanted me to cancel your appointments with people for this week? You know, your poker game and your rehearsal for that play and all your other social activities that you will miss while you're gone." She sounded firm, but not yet angry.  
  
"I will attend to that," he replied.  
  
"When? It's two in the morning; Captain and most of these people are asleep! You are going to leave before some of them get up for the day."  
  
"I can leave them messages. I am a fast typist."  
  
She moved to pick up her coffee. "Fine, do what ever you want. I just thought I would be helpful and deliver personal messages for you, but if you are going to be pig headed about it. Forget it!" she sipped her coffee.  
  
He sat, but still looked ticked. "You are not my personal assistant, Teagan." He statement was delivered in a flat tone and she looked over at him for the first time.  
  
"That's hard for me to believe sometimes. I get lots of messages for you and give them to you. People who want to get you to come to events or when Shelby Brent wanted you to speak to her class. She could have gone through her husband, your first officer. But no, she decided to ask me during breakfast one morning. Why is that? There are normal channels one goes through to talk to the captain that are standard on most ships. But here if you want to get an informal message to the captain, you contact the captain's woman...me!"  
  
She had used that term to describe herself twice in ten minutes. But she did not really consider herself so, and it bothered him to hear her use it again. But it bothered him even more that she did not seem truly upset that they would not be able to see each other for five days. The news had greatly troubled him. He knew he was going to miss her terribly. Yet, she acted like it was another game, or something to tease him about.  
  
"I regret having inconvenienced you in this way. I will try and inform the crew of the proper channels by which they can get a message to me in future."  
  
She let out a long sound of disgust. She put her coffee down and stood glaring at him. "I don't know what's gotten into you today, but maybe five days will give you time to get over it." Her fists where tightly clenched as she threw her words at him.  
  
"Five days has gotten into me, Teagan," he growled, standing too. "But it seems that this news had disturbed only one of us. I seem to have overestimated my importance to you. I thank you for consenting to care for my cat in my absence." He was walking towards the door, but she could not believe he was going.  
  
"Stop right there! What were you looking for in a reaction? Were you expecting me to cry like a baby? I told you about how I hated crying when I got angry. I told you that I found a way around that. I am no longer a crier, Captain. I don't cry in front of others. So if that is what you were hoping for than I'm sorry to disappoint you." She was very angry, but forced herself not to explode on him. He stood staring at her, standing rigidly by the door.  
  
"Tears were not required. Some expression of anxiety or trepidation and I would have believed that at least you will miss me." As the last words tumbled out of his mouth, they sounded less angry and more hurt. Her expression too softened.  
  
"I will," she said quietly.  
  
He wanted to believe her, but it was too late. "As the saying goes, Miss Teagan; actions speak louder then words," she started to say something else, but he held up a hand. Shaking his head he turned and walked out of her quarters. Her hands were shaking as she lowered herself back to the couch.  
  
"How can I tell you that I will miss you without saying that...I want to erase that line in the sand." She had wanted to sit down with him and have this talk about lines, but had been afraid. If he knew how strongly she felt, would he break everything off with her? Now she wondered if not telling him had just produced the same effect.  
The Captain of the Repulse went to the bridge and checked in. There were no new orders, but and injury from a soccer competition had been reported by sickbay. He wanted to wait as long a possible to let his first officer sleep before letting him know of the new orders that would leave Commander Brent in command of the Repulse for five days.  
  
Five days. Why did it mean one thing to him and another to Teagan? The answer of course was that he did not mean the same thing to her that she did to him. He had been trying to fool himself in to believing that this could work for six months now. It was time to admit that this attempt had failed. He returned to his quarters for lack of anywhere else to go. It was odd for Stripes to not greet him as he entered. It was painful to think that she was with Teagan and that that was where he wanted to be....still.  
Dr. Sidney Jewel was in his quarters, awake and packing for the trip. The Captain had informed him that they would be leaving in three hours and even warned him that Teagan knew that they were leaving.  
  
"You woke her, Captain?" he had asked the android. The captain's expression was odd even considering that he and Jewel had still not come to terms in their dealings with each other. Sidney still held a grudge and if the conversation was casual, he did not let the captain forget that.  
  
"Yes, Doctor," he replied. Even on the monitor, the doctor could see that peculiar look that he had seen in this being's eyes before. He never liked seeing it there since he knew it had something to do with Teagan.  
  
"You must enjoy living dangerously, sir. My little Teagan has been known to assault people for interrupting her sleep." He knew that throwing in the 'My' would tick this man off, but he had done it before and was not about to stop now.  
  
"She did not appear pleased to be awakened." This was just a statement. He was not rising to the baiting. Disappointing.  
  
"Do you have any idea if she want back to sleep after you left?" Sidney wanted to see her if she had not. She would be mad as a Tyrillian fire cat for being awakened, but she would be mad at the captain and Sidney would enjoy that.  
  
"I would believe she was awake. She knows you are to be leaving as well and I would expect that she was planning to see you before our departure."  
  
"I assume she will see us off since she's awake."  
  
The captain's expression finally showed some reaction. This was not where Sidney had expected it, though. "I was not informed of her intentions. You would have to take that up with Dr. Shayza. I will meet you in shuttle bay one at 0745, Doctor. Captain out." Still staring at a black monitor screen, Sidney wondered what that meant. Had she tried to deck him? He would have given up one of the pips on his collar to see that.  
  
Teagan did indeed come to his door about forty minutes later. She looked very tired. Her eyes were red and her face was drawn. Her hair was pulled back in her 'I don't care about my hair today' clip and she was not smiling. He did not say a word, but held open his arms for her. She came into his arms willingly. Looking into her eyes after several minutes had passed in silence, he spoke.  
  
"I get the sneaking suspicion that this display is not really on account that you will miss me. I hear he woke you up....very early." Who 'he' was he knew he did not need to say.  
  
She nodded, and looked away. She pulled herself out of his arms and went to sit on the closest chair, which happened to be in his dinning room. He followed and sat across from her.  
  
"I never saw the need to tell him how bad I am without sleep. It would have been inappropriate for him to be in my quarters at that hour under normal circumstances." She looked very glum.  
  
"What happened. It must have been quite a row as he did not believe that you were coming to see us off."  
  
She shrugged. "I guess it was. He thought I was not properly upset by his announcement. He decided that I would not miss him and when I said I would, he did not believe me. I've never seen him so angry and upset. He gave me Stripes to watch while he's gone and left in a huff." She suddenly got up from her chair and went to the first window in the Doctor's quarters. She stood before it, staring out. "I'm not sure Jewly, but I think he may have been trying to break it off with me when he left." Sidney jumped up at this. Ignoring the cramp that the maneuver caused in his calf, he went to her side as quickly as he could.  
  
"Have you been crying, love?" he asked. This would be the truest indicator of how serious the situation was. It took a lot to make her cry.  
  
"No," she told him sharply, but he knew better.  
  
"Don't lie to me, my girl." His tone was firm, but loving.  
  
"A little. I can't take this anymore, Jewly. You were right; I never should have let it get this far. I'm to the point where it twists my insides just to see him. He's so damned contrary. I still don't really understand him." She put her hand out smack the window in frustration. It made a slight vibrating sound.  
  
"Our captain is very different," he agreed.  
  
"Yeah, and I know that's one of the reasons I'm so attracted, but I can't wait around hoping anymore. Where you two get back, I think I'm going to ask for a transfer. I'm going to see if I can get Lauralee to come with me and I thought I'd tell you too in case there was a chance you wanted to tag along. I don't think my leaving would help your relationship with him."  
  
He snorted at this. No, she was probably right there. If she left it would most likely only increase the tension between the captain and his CMO. Still, he could make no promises now. "I'll let you know. I think this is a wise decision, love. He has deprecated your reputation for long enough. I just hope word of his actions have not made an indelible mark on your reputation." He took hold of her shoulders and turned her around. He had said the wrong thing, though, and she looking angry with him now.  
  
"I'm not in the mood to hear this, Sidney Jewel. I won't be seeing two of my favorite men for five days and it may be that when you return it will get worse. Don't make me want to take my anger with him out on you." She glared at him, but he knew her well enough to know that it was just smoke, not fire. He pulled her into an embrace again.  
  
"I'm sorry, love. I know it hurts now, but you will heal. I'm a doctor, I know these things. It may still be a good idea to talk to the counselor while we are gone, though. He's a good man, Braccon." She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"You aren't going to like hearing this, but you and the captain have something in common, Jewly," she said, tilting her head to look at him.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You're both smart asses."  
The first officer had command of the ship, Lt. Commander Oishii was starting the preflight checks of the shuttle, and Dr. Jewel was en route to the shuttle bay. It was 0738 and the captain had not spoken to Teagan since leaving her quarters. He stood looking over the security chief's shoulder, supervising his work. The checks proceeded as per protocol, albeit slowly.  
  
The captain heard the doors to Shuttle Bay One opened and he moved to the window in time to see Dr. Jewel enter through the doors. He was alone. Data waited until the older man had stowed his things in a compartment before greeting him.  
  
"Are you prepared for departure, Doctor?" he asked as the doctor secured the storage compartment. The white haired man turned to face the dark haired one.  
  
"Yes, Captain," he answered.  
  
"You are not expecting anyone to come and see you off?" the captain asked, sure his meaning was obvious, but not caring at this particular moment.  
  
The doctor almost smirked, but remembered himself at the last. "No, we said our good-byes in private," was all he said. He moved past the android and went to take his seat. The captain gave the order to launch, but did not move from the window that gave him a clear view of the shuttle bay entrance doors.  
  
It was precisely 0800 as the shuttle took off towards Starbase 72. The shuttle's nacelles glowed blue and the tiny craft rose from the deck of the Repulse's bay. As the ship passed though the forcefield that kept the vacuum of space outside, Data saw the doors that he was staring at open. She held what looked like Stripes in her arms and stopped two feet into the bay. The captain was not sure if she could see him, but he pressed his hand to the window on impulse.  
  
"May the Captain's women be well in his absence," he whispered. It was ten minutes before he wanted to move again and finally took his seat with the others. 


	12. chapter 12 the end!

Chapter 12  
  
It had been two days since the captain had departed. He had not called her or even sent a message. Teagan had thought about doing so herself, but had thus far resisted. She had been tempted to start seeing someone else while he was gone, but that kind of behavior was not really in her character. Lauralee had tried to get her to join her for dinner each night, but Teagan had declined politely. She remained in her quarters with only Stripes as company.  
  
At 1814 the door chime signaled. She called for them to come and was very surprised to see Commander Brent stride into her quarters. Two feet in, he looked at her, as she perched on her couch and asked if her could talk with her for a moment. She bid him to join her on the other couch. He did.  
  
"This is rather unexpected, Commander. Nothings wrong with Shelby, I hope." She had breakfast with his perky wife on average of twice a week. Mrs. Brent was now five months pregnant and Teagan knew that the couple was beside themselves with joy over the impending birth of their daughter. Names for the child had been flying fast and furious between the pair and Teagan had discovered that her name was one of the ones being considered. This had flattered her beyond words. Teagan didn't care if they really did name the child after her; the thought had been compliment enough.  
  
"No Miss Teagan, Shel is big as a shuttle and edging towards starship, but just fine, thanks." The man beamed with obvious pride at the mention of his wife. This pregnancy had taken him by surprise as to how he was affected. Shelby seemed to grow more radiant as his child grew with in her. He had always adored her, but something changed with the realization that she carried within her body a child that they had created together. He had discovered that he cherished her even more.  
  
"I'm relieved to hear that," she said, smiling. "So, to what do I owe this visit?" she asked. He pulled himself forward on the seat and clenched his hands between his knees.  
  
"I came to check on how you were doing, Miss Teagan." Something in his tone told more that his words where saying and she blanched.  
  
"He told you to check on me?" she asked, her defenses suddenly up. Brent sat straighter and shook his head.  
  
"No, Miss Teagan. Well, not directly. He contacted me this afternoon and asked if I'd seen you. I wanted to be able to say that I had the next time he called. I apologize, I assumed that you wouldn't mind." He rose to go, but she stood too and put up a hand.  
  
"Wait, I'm sorry, Commander. I have been on edge lately. To be honest, the captain and I had a disagreement prior to his leaving and I guess I'm still miffed at him. You know how moody we women can be even when we're not pregnant. Can you do me a favor?"  
  
The Commander smiled down at her and nodded. "I will if I can, Miss Teagan."  
  
"Tell the captain that his cat misses him." The Commander raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"His cat, Miss Teagan?" he asked her, looking very uncertain.  
  
She grinned and tried not to blush. "Yes, I don't know what kind of night time ritual our captain shares with his roommate, but she obvious finds my night time routine to be totally unsuitable. She spends most of the evening crying for him." She extended her hand and the Commander took it for a formal handshake.  
  
"I'll be sure to tell him, Miss Teagan," he assured her with a confused expression as he saw himself out.  
Dr. Jewel was making his way slowly back to his room having just come from his final meeting with the top diagnostician in StarFleet Medical. The meeting had ended with the results that Jewel had anticipated and now the real test of courage was to follow. As luck would have it, Captain Data just happened to be walking in the opposite direction. It was just over twelve hours before they were to head back for their rendezvous with the Repulse. Thus far, the Doctor had been able to avoid running into his captain, no such luck now. Looking around, Jewel noted that there were no hallways to duck into. No bathrooms or open doors either. And the Captain had just spotted him.  
  
"Good evening, Dr. Jewel. I hope you are well," said the captain once he reached him.  
  
"I haven't spoken to her," said Jewel, looking frustrated with the captain's friendly greeting. The captain just looked confused.  
  
"I do not remember asking you if she had contacted you, Doctor," he replied. But at the mention of Teagan, even without her name, the captain no longer looked friendly or confused. He just looked upset.  
  
"I have found, Captain, that if you are not speaking to me about ship's business that you rarely wish to discuss anything but Teagan with me. Fine, I lied. She told me to tell you that the creature that you call your cat, misses you."  
  
"Intriguing, you are the second person to whom she gave the message that Stripes missed me." He looked as though he was considering foul play of some sort and the doctor wondered what was going though that oddly built mind.  
  
"Perhaps the pesky feline of yours is giving my red headed love a difficult time and that is her polite way of telling you that she will not keep her next time you leave the ship."  
  
The Captain considered this and answered with a growing look of irritation in his yellow eyes. "Perhaps Doctor, and perhaps not." With his jaw set and his pace swift the captain strode away after reminding the doctor not to be late for their scheduled departure in the morning.  
The captain met with his command crew immediately upon returning to the Repulse in order to give Commander Brent the details that he had received on their new mission and chatted with him about some of the other events of his trip. The timing had seemed to be an important factor in why the captain had been asked to leave the ship, but more in the timing of Dr. Jewel's meeting rather then the captain's. But apparently, StarFleet had thought it worth the time and risk to send them both off ship instead of waiting until the Repulse had finished her crew rotations.  
  
The meeting only took 49 minutes and 41 seconds, but it felt like two life times to the captain. Still he needed to meet in private with Brent to go over some of the finer points of happenings that took place in his absence.  
  
The captain listened carefully as his first officer told him of interesting events that had taken place and some things that would not make it into a ship's log. It had taken Data quite a while, but he had finally developed a rapport with this man. He believed it in part to his comment months ago about welcoming new members to this man's family aboard his ship. Even though biological procreation was not within the realm of possibility for the captain, hearing about his first officer's experiences was almost like living vicariously through him. Commander Brent's excitement over his upcoming promotion to 'father' had quickly become one of the captain's favorite parts of this man's daily report. At the end of their morning briefing, Brent would always tell some little anecdote about his wife or a thought that he had had about the already beloved child growing within her. The captain always found himself smiling brightly from the beginning of the story to its end. The commander became so animated as he spoke of Shelby Brent or of the yet unnamed child that one could not help but get caught up in his joy.  
  
Today's report was only slightly different. It was longer. The tail end to Brent's story was that they had narrowed down the choices of names to four. Michelle, Tariela, Isabeau and Teagan.  
  
The Repulse was on her way to the site of her next mission and the captain had once again retired to his ready room. His shift was almost over and he was allowing himself to wonder at the location of Stripes. Allowances that he had made months earlier made it possible that she was already back in his quarters. If she were not, he would need to go retrieve her after his shift was over and he was not certain it was something he could face.  
  
He had just about decided to put a call though to the bio-chemistry lab when his door chime sounded. "Come," he called.  
  
Commander Brent entered the captain's ready room looking very much like he would rather jump into a pool of plasma coolant. He held a PADD in his hand and by his stance, the PADD was a snake he feared would bite him.  
  
"Captain," the first officer said and nodded at his captain.  
  
"Commander, is there something you wished to discuss with me?" at this question, the Commander lost some of his colour. The snake must have large fangs. "You may sit, if you would prefer," the captain said, pointing to the chair in front of his desk. Brent nodded, still uneasy and took a seat. He fidgeted in the seat for several seconds before speaking.  
  
"I always check to see if I have been sent any messages relating to ship's business that would need to be addressed before I go off duty," the commander began, still holding the PADD with distaste.  
  
"I would believe that to be a wise practice. Please proceed, Commander."  
  
"I checked my messages today as usual, but this request is...was...very unexpected."  
  
Obviously, the request was on the PADD, so the captain held his hand out for the PADD, but the Commander looked very reluctant to surrender it.  
  
"I think it would be better if I told you what it said, sir. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it would be better," the captain looked impatient.  
  
"Very well, Commander. Please inform me of the content of the request." The Commander nodded and came to his feet.  
  
"To Captain Data, commanding starship Repulse, from Lt. Commander (Doctor) Teagan Ann Shayza. Stardate - 68011.2. Pursuant to regulation 25.1.02, I here by request a transfer. Circumstances have been encountered that have caused me difficulty in performing my duty to the standard that StarFleet requires. I-"  
  
"I think I have heard enough, Commander. May I see the PADD, please," the captain asked. He was trying to sound unruffled, but he knew he was failing. The Commander reluctantly handed him the PADD and grimaced. He looked like he was trying to decide whether or not to speak again.  
  
"Was there something else, Commander?"  
  
"Yes, Captain. If I may?" the man indicated the chair and at his captain's nodded, reclaimed his seat.  
  
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"  
  
"Granted, Commander."  
  
"I know that you and I are not what one would call best friends, I just wanted you to know that if you needed to talk about it, I have some experience in this area. Miss Teagan did indicate that the two of you had been quarreling prior to your leaving the ship. I know I'm not ship's counselor, but Braccon isn't married."  
  
The captain tried to smile. "I am complimented that you would make this offer, Commander. I will consider it, but at this moment I believe I would like to be alone, please." The Commander nodded and rose at once. "Commander, I would like to thank you for your consciousness and your thoughtful offer. I will not forget it."  
  
The Commander smiled sympathetically and with a nod left the ready room.  
His duty shift was over and the Captain could find no good reason to put off going to his quarters. As he made his way towards them, he felt as though the deck had become magnetized. His feet did not want to obey his commanded to step and then step again. This would be his first evening since taking command of this vessel that he would spend alone. He was not looking forward to it, but standing in the corridor instead of going to his quarters was not going to make him any less alone.  
  
He entered the room and the door closed behind him. The room was dark. "Computer standard lights, please." The lights came up. The room looked empty and he could not hear movement or breathing. Stripes was not here.  
  
She would be coming here then. Or was she waiting for him to come to her? He was not proficient at this kind of complication. There were so many questions for which he did not have answers. Should he wait for her to come here? Should he go to her? Would it be easier to just get a new cat? No, he loved Stripes and would not give her up. But why then was he considering giving up on Teagan? He walked over to his window and stared out at the stars. The answers to every question existed somewhere. Did one of the points of light hold his answers?  
  
All he wanted was for things to have never changed and for her to be here ordering their dinner, as she should be. He moved away from the window and looked towards the replicator. He walked slowly towards the device that had not been used in almost a week. Would he ever use it again for an evening meal?  
  
She should be here, damn it! Here with him, within reach. Telling this infernal device how he liked his potatoes. She should be here telling him that she had missed him and meaning it. And he should be less of a coward. He should have had the courage to confront his strong feelings of attraction to her and to admit them to her. He wanted things to change, but not in this way. Why had he continually failed to cross the barrier that would move their relationship for friendship into something more?  
  
Because he was afraid. If he openly asked her if she would ever consider him as a....suitor he risked her rejecting him all together.  
  
Friend. They were friends, but that was all. He meant no more to her than...Stripes.  
  
He felt a serge of rage and he found himself cursing as he plunged his fist through the accursed replicator that he believed he would no longer truly need. His fist made contact with the front and penetrated seventeen centimeters of the inside of the replicator before he regained control of his temper.  
  
He pulled his arm from the ruined device and wondered at himself. But a moment later he wondered if that was the only device that would suffer his wrath this evening. He had moved over to his glass coffee table and was considering smashing it when he heard his door chime sound.  
  
"Come," he called, bringing his fist back to his side.  
  
She walked in holding his cat. Stripes launched herself from the knee that Teagan lifted slightly to give the feline a stepping stone between her arms and the floor. Stripes came to yell at him for being gone so long. The captain wanted to pay attention to his roommate's admonishment, but he could not take his eyes off the red headed woman standing by his door.  
  
"You asked for a transfer," he stated, having to raise his voice slightly to be heard over Stripes tirade. Stripes seemed to realize that now was not the time and with one finally 'yowl' pranced towards the door to the captain's bedroom and was gone.  
  
"I thought it would be easier on both of us, considering..." she said, not moving.  
  
"Considering what, Teagan?" he could not hide the smoldering rage he felt. Her eyes grew wider as she became aware of it. Shockingly, she moved slowly closer.  
  
"You want me to be honest with you, Captain. But then there's that damned line and I can't be honest and stay behind it." She had a touch of fire in her words.  
  
"Then move or remove the line, Teagan. You placed it there, it is up to you to remove it," he said just as forcefully.  
  
Her jaw dropped and she just gaped at him of several seconds. Suddenly she moved very swiftly across the floor. "I sure as hell did not draw that line, Mister!" she said through grit teeth. She was in front of him now and brought her hand up to poke him in the chest. "You told me that certain lines must never be crossed." She poked him in time to 'must never be crossed' and glared at him. "I may not be an android, but I remember those words!"  
  
It was his turn to gape at her. Was this it? Was this the place it had all gone wrong? Could it be that simple? One misunderstood word? Four misunderstood words? He took hold of the finger that had been poking him and flattening out her hand, rested it on his chest.  
  
"This line must never be crossed, you must never address me disrespectfully or too causally in public. You must not strike me or raise your voice to me in public. If I count the angry poking you just did as a strike; you have done them all in private. What lines did you draw, Teagan?" he felt as though that question was one of the biggest risks he had taken in his personal life.  
  
Colour came to her cheeks and the hand he was holding as well as the hand that had been clenched at her side, began to shake slightly. "I...I drew no lines. I was trying not to insult you. I thought...I thought....you only wanted to be friends. I thought you just wanted someone to talk to."  
  
He could not understand how this had happened. He had been so sure that she had been pulling back because it was not her wish to get closer. Braccon had been correct. He should have told her how he felt from the beginning. Slowly he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them gently.  
  
"How did this happen? Even if I was stuck thinking that there was a line, why did you think there was one?" she asked, still searching for pieces to this puzzle.  
  
"I had hoped that during the course of our relationship I could engender romantic feeling between us. It seemed that each time I thought we were growing closer, I saw something in your eyes that causes me to believe that I was not capable of that kind of relationship." His eyes still held a hint of doubt.  
  
"What do you mean, 'not capable'?" she asked, seemingly offended on his behalf.  
  
"It has never happened before. And if as close as we have become, if it is still not-"  
  
'But it is. We do...right? I do! Do you?"  
  
He grinned. Her words were confused and sounded silly, but he had still understood them all. "I do," he replied.  
  
She nodded at this and grinned back. After a moment, she looked as though she was expecting him to do or say something else. He looked uncertain.  
  
"Um...now would be a good time for one of those kisses that you claim you don't want to overuse," she told him finally and he jumped slightly.  
  
"Yes, of course. I agree! I-" having grown tired of waiting for him to stop talking and take action, she took it herself. Grabbing his face in her hands, she pulled him down into a kiss. He had a very hard time not grinning at first, but as her arms slid up his back, he put his own arms around her and all uncertainty left him. It had been an unlikely misunderstanding, but it had finally been discovered and he had been wrong. She did care for him. He still was not sure how much, but those 'I do' s sounded very promising. He knew what his 'I do' meant, but he would not make an assumption about hers. He would ask her point blank. But not just now. Now he was just happy the line was gone. She was in his arms and kissing him without reservation. He intended to do everything in his power to make sure that this scene was repeated...often. Which reminded him...  
  
He broke the kiss and looked at her. He had missed her so when he had been gone, but had never expected to be here now. "I formally deny your request for transfer, Miss Teagan, On the grounds that you cannot be the captain's woman if you are not on the same ship as the captain." She laughed and rested her forehead on his chest as she giggled.  
  
Looking up at him again she said, "I here by rescind my request for transfer, Captain." She blushed and smiled up at him. "This might sound off the wall, but I'm starved. I haven't had a good dinner since my dinner partner left me, and I think I want to work on increasing the average amount of time I spend with him each evening."  
  
Part of this statement sounded quite intriguing, but part reminded him of what he had been doing just prior to her entering his quarters. He gave her an embarrassed grin.  
  
"Oops."  
  
She tilted her head and looked questioningly at him. "Oops?"  
  
He let go of her waist. Taking hold of her hand, he turned her around and pointed at what used to be his replicator.  
  
"Oh, my god. What happened?" she asked, astonished at the gaping hole in the unit. Turning to look at him for an explanation, she caught his sheepish grin.  
  
"I was not happy to hear of your request for transfer," he admitted reluctantly. She gave him an amused, but wide-eyed grin.  
  
"I guess not." Chuckling, she moved to get a closer look at the damage. He was still holding her hand, so she pulled him along with her. She stood in front of the victim of the captain's wrath and leaned over to inspect the hole.  
  
"You were a whole foot not happy. Remind me never to make you angry if I can help it." She looked back at him. "You didn't hurt your hand when you did this?" he showed her his left hand, as that was the one he had used. "You're made of tough stuff, Sunshine. Try to remember that the replicator isn't from now on, ok?"  
  
He heaved a sighed. "At the time, I wanted to damage it. I would under no circumstances intentionally injure you." He told her very seriously. She came back to stand before him and wrapped her arms around his middle.  
  
"I knew that," she assured him. She tapped the communicator on his chest and spoke again. He looked surprised at her actions. "Dr. Shayza to maintenance."  
  
Why had she used his communicator, he wondered?  
  
"Maintenance. Lt. Vilard here, Doctor. How can I help you?" came the response.  
  
"The captain's replicator has had an unfortunate encounter that it did not survive. He needs to have it replaced. How soon could that be taken care of?" She sounded very professional, but was grinning brightly at the captain as she spoke.  
  
"I can be there in three minutes and it should not take me more than another ten to have the work done. Is that acceptable, Miss Teagan?" the man asked, sounding as though he were speaking to the captain himself.  
  
"Eminently so. Thank you, Lt. Vilard. We await your arrival. Shayza out." She tapped the captain's communicator again to close the signal and grinned up at him. He looked down at her with a slightly questionable expression on his face.  
  
"May I inquire as to why you did not use your own communicator?" he asked.  
  
She shrugged. "I think we have time for one more of those kisses before he gets here. So hurry." He wondered at her odd behavior, but did as she asked.  
  
The captain had learned years earlier that there were times when having an internal chronometer took something away from an experience. After the second time he had kissed Teagan, he had decided this was one of those experiences. Before even touching his lips to hers, he switched the timekeeper off. This was most likely why it seemed as though it had only been seconds before the door chime sounded. He very much did not want to release her. He wanted very much to just stand here with her in his arms forever, but he did have a ship to command. With a sad sigh, he ended the kiss and let go of her.  
  
She walked over to the couch, indicating for him to follow her with a crooked finger.  
  
"Come," he called towards the door as he moved to follow her. He sat down on the couch facing the one on which she was seated as the lieutenant entered.  
  
"Good evening, Captain. Miss Teagan. I hope you are both well this evening." The young man said, slightly nervous. Teagan wondered if it was due to the fact that he was, as far as he knew the only person ever to see her and the Captain during one of their private evenings. Jewly had seen one too, but this thin dark haired man would not be aware of that.  
  
"Good evening to you, Lt. Vilard. We are indeed well. I thank you for your prompt response. Miss Teagan has informed me that she is starving, and I am at a loss to accommodate her." His words were conversational, but they still inspired the young man to move quickly to where he knew the replicator would be.  
  
"I will have that taken care of in a snap, sir," the fidgety man assured his captain as he moved. Teagan turned around in her seat to catch the expression of the man's face as he caught sight of the damage to the unit in question. The man's jaw dropped, but he recovered quickly, sensing that he was being watched. He touched his communicator and gave orders for the new unit to be beamed over so he could install it. Meanwhile he pulled the ruined one. Teagan turned back to face the captain and grinned at him.  
  
"Are we having dinner in my quarters tomorrow, sir?' she asked innocently.  
  
"It would follow our established pattern," he told her.  
  
"Good, I want to try a new dish on you. Its potatoes, but not the kind you favor," she told him. He shook his head at her.  
  
"I fail to understand why you find my preference for the kind you normally make objectionable."  
  
"I never said it was objectionable, sir." She countered.  
  
"True, I believe the word you used was 'boring'."  
  
She gasped and pointed behind a cover hand at the working lieutenant. "Please Captain. It would not be appropriate for me to speak so of my commanding officer's judgement." He just grinned at this.  
  
This never stopped her before...well in a long while. "True. What are the ingredient in this new dish, if I may inquire, Miss Teagan?"  
  
She gave him the list and he listened attentively. She then went on to list several other dishes that she had been thinking of trying on him. Some didn't even include potatoes. He made funny faces at the dishes that included ingredients that he did not care for, and she laughed. She was well aware of the food stuff items that he disliked. They were few in number, but after a few of his funny faces she came up with a dish that consisted entirely of things her captain despised.  
  
"Yuck!" he exclaimed with feeling. Teagan was holding her sides and trying not to fall off her couch as she laughed. Even the young lieutenant looked up at this and threw them a confused glance. Teagan was still recovering when the young man presented himself before her and the captain informing them that the work was complete. The old unit had been beamed away and a new replicator graced the spot that the damaged one had recently inhabited.  
  
The captain stood and walked over to the young man. "Thank you Lt. Vilard. Once again, I appreciate your attending to the matter so quickly. As you have most likely gathered, my dinner companion becomes quite impertinent when she is not kept to her expected meal schedule." A sound that closely resembled one of his own surprised 'humph' s came from the direction of the couch behind him. "I shall see to her at once." He assured the confused and nervous looking man.  
  
"Yes, sir. Sounds like a wise course of action, Captain."  
  
"I agree," the captain said, nodded. Teagan moved to his side and smiling gently down at her, he offered his arm. She took it and he guided her to his dinning area. The pair turned briefly back the face the man.  
  
"Good evening, Lieutenant." Teagan called and the captain added his voice to hers.  
  
"Good night, Miss Teagan. Good night sir. Enjoy your meal." With this the man retreated as quickly as would be proper and heaved a sigh of relief once he was safely out of the captain's quarters. As he made his way back to his post, the man found a grin slowly taking over his face. "He said yuck!" he mused. Vilard found himself chuckling softly all the way back to Maintenance.  
Teagan kept stealing glances at the captain as they ate dinner together. She still couldn't believe that he had felt the same way she had been feeling all along. From her seat, she looked briefly over his shoulder and past him to the far wall. The only other door in his quarters was located just past his computer console. It was this door she was determined to discuss with him right this very moment. All she had to do was keep her nerve. The meal was all but gone and she didn't feel like playing chess or tag or walking in the arboretum this evening. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth, hoping something clever would come out.  
  
Instead, they both heard his door chime sound. They exchanged surprised glances as she closed her mouth and sighed. As the captain rose from his seat and gently tossed his napkin on the table, she opened her mouth again.  
  
"Were you expecting someone else?"  
  
"No one but you and Stripes," he replied moving towards the door. "Come," he called.  
  
The door opened and Dr. Sidney Jewel walked thoughtfully into the room.  
  
"Good evening, Captain. I'm glad to see you're here too, Teagan." The older man commented looking her way, his expression uncertain.  
  
"That's a first," she muttered, rising from her chair and coming to stand by the captain. The captain gave her a disapproving glance and turned his attention back to the CMO.  
  
"Is there something I can do for you, Doctor?" he asked the older man, with respect in his tone. The white haired man took a step closer to the pair and looked from the one to the other. His eyes came back to his commanding officer as he replied. Everything in his demeanor spoke of dread or nervous excitement.  
  
"Yes, I had wanted to speak to both of you together, so I'm relieved...that you apparently have mended your fences." This admission looked to have been very difficult for the doctor to say, but Teagan was not appeased. She loved the older man dearly, but he had been behaving very badly towards the captain of late and she was now even more motivated to show her displeasure in this matter.  
  
"Actually, it would be more accurate to say that we have torn them down." As she said this, she slipped her hand into the captain's. The captain sighed at her, but did not release her hand. Instead, he used his new grip on her to conduct her to one of the couches.  
  
"Please have a seat, Doctor. I will do what I can to encourage Miss Teagan to show a little more courtesy to guests of her commanding officer." Dr. Jewel's expression was unreadable as he moved to take a seat on the couch across from the pair. Jewel took note that the captain now had his hands resting on his legs, as did Teagan. But he was perfectly well aware of what that handholding had signified. At this point, he wasn't sure if he should be furious or relieved.  
  
"Thank you, Captain. There is a development of which I needed to make you and Teagan aware. In my spare time, I have been researching a treatment of Kedderman's Syndrome. Are you familiar with it, Captain?"  
  
"Yes, Doctor. It is a condition that begins by affecting a victim's hand to eye coordination and depth perception. It progresses on to cause both blindness and total loss of muscular control." The doctor nodded at him, but had turned his gaze to Teagan. Following his gaze, the captain noted that she now looked almost as pales as he was, but was at a loss to understand why. Teagan met his eyes and frowned. Sadness was apparent in her golden eyes.  
  
"My father was diagnosed with Kedderman's postmortem. It was what caused the crash that took my family from me." Her confession was given in a monotone, but no one in the room believed that she was untouched by the memory. The captain placed a comforting hand over hers. She just stared straight ahead, as though looking off into the distant past.  
  
"I'm sorry to upset you, love. You were why I have been working on finding a treatment. You know I wouldn't bring it up to hurt you?" she nodded, still unfocused. The captain gave her hand a squeeze. "That was the reason for my accompanying you to Starbase 72, Captain. StarFleet Medical had decided that my work shows promise of a cure." This seemed to finally bring Teagan back to the present.  
  
"A cure?" she repeated, stunned. Jewel's fatherly affection for this woman filled his expression as he nodded. He sat forward until he was almost on the edge of his seat and looked lovingly back at her.  
  
"Yes, love. It will still take some time, but I believe I am close to the answer. But I can't find it here. As up to date as the Repulse is with her recent refit, my work needs to be done elsewhere. I have been offered the chance to continue my research at the StarFleet Medical facility on Carter's world. I have come to request a transfer, Captain."  
  
The captain gave the man a meaningful smile. "Granted," he replied, without hesitation. "I would be grateful for your recommendation on your replacement, Dr. Jewel." The captain's voice made his approval clear. The older man rose slowly.  
  
"I will forward a list to you by morning, Captain. Thank you, sir." Then he turned his attention back to Teagan. "Are you going to be ok with this, love?" he asked her. Teagan came to her feet, purposefully. She almost fell into a touching embrace with the older man. She small stature caused her to almost disappear in the man's arms. After several moments she released him and just looked at him. Her face was wet.  
  
"Tears, my love? I never knew I meant so much to you." The doctor's teasing words produced the desired effect and Teagan blushed slightly and chuckled.  
  
"I love you breathlessly, you old geezer. But I have a question." The doctor smiled at her response and with his eyes shining nodded at her to ask her question. "Why did you want to tell me this in front of the captain?"  
  
"Besides the obvious that he would need to be told and I didn't want to say this twice?" She gave him an impatient look. "I wanted to ask him a favor. A personal favor." The older doctor now looked to his captain and simultaneously took hold of one of Teagan's hands.  
  
"If it is within my power, I will try. What is it that you would ask of me, doctor?"  
  
The doctor looked back at Teagan. Guiding her by the hand back to the captain's side on the couch, he placed her hand over that of his commanding officer.  
  
"Watch over her for me. She listens to you. Or at least she's supposed to. Keep her out of trouble and out of sickbay." Teagan groaned, but her eyes twinkled as she looked from Jewel to the captain and back again.  
  
"I will do as you have asked to the best of my ability, Doctor," the captain assured the older man.  
  
"Thank you, Captain. Well, that's all I had. I'll leave you two alone now. Have breakfast with me tomorrow, love?" he asked, looking at the woman who's hand still rested atop of her captain's.  
  
"Sure," she answered, smiling with a touch of sadness still in her lovely eyes.  
  
"Wonderful, well good night to you both," he said, and turned to go.  
  
The pair on the couch stared at him until the door closed behind him. Turning to look back at each other, they smiled. Slowly, the captain turned the hand that hers rested on from palm down to palm up. He now gave her hand and gentle squeeze and looked meaningfully back at her. For a split second, he was confused as she pulled her hand away. But a half second later when she snuggled herself into his arms, he relaxed. He kissed her forehead and then just held her. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. They stayed this way for several minutes. Not a word was said between them.  
  
Eventually she lifted her head and looked fondly into his eyes. This kiss was as comforting as he could make it, but after a time her need for comfort seemed to dissipate. Her kisses intensified and so did her response. Her heart rate increased. The temperature of her body also rose slightly. Suddenly she pulled away slightly and unexpectedly got to her feet. She took his hand and pulled him to a stand as well. When he stood before her, she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him just once more.  
  
"It has been a very emotional evening, hasn't it?" she asked in a voice just above a whisper.  
  
He would have smiled, but he already was. "Yes it has. I take it that the evening is over and that you are planning to leave?" Oddly, his question caused her to blush profusely.  
  
She broke eye contact, but kept her grin in place. "Actually, no. I was hoping to keep this emotional exploration going at lease a bit longer. Forgive me, Sunshine, Jewly's announcement threw me a bit. I think it's wonderful that he is doing this, but I am going to miss him when he's gone." She looked back up at him.  
  
"Glad I'll still have you," she told him.  
  
"I do not believe I can replace the doctor-"  
  
"No, I'm not asking you to. I don't have the same feelings for you that I have for him." The captain looked relieved to hear this and she chuckled. "Still, this is the topic I wanted to discuss. Feelings, that is." She paused here and some of the flush left her cheeks. Looking him intensely in the eye, she continued. "Do you love me?"  
  
Tenderness filled the captain's yellow eyes. It struck him that he had been planning to clarify this very issue. He was pleased that she had taken the burden from him.  
  
"Yes, Teagan. I do," he answered. She smiled and released a breath she had been holding.  
  
"Good. I do too...love you, that is," she was almost stuttering with nervousness. He found it most endearing. He also found that he was reeling.  
  
She loved him!  
  
He had been fairly certain that she did...but he had been mistaken before. It was wonderful to know it for sure now. It was wonderful to feel this way and finally be able to believe that it truly was love and not the android equivalent. An equivalent that fell far short. He had worried for so long that it was not love that he felt and that the emotion was simply beyond him.  
  
While his years of emotional growth had made him believe that he was at last discovering his long waited humanity, this kind if love had never been part of it. He loved his cat. He loved his friend. He even loved his life in StarFleet. But was it truly love that he felt or just a pleasure from things he was accustomed to?  
  
Yes. Love. Was. Wonderful.  
  
The woman he loved was speaking again....  
  
"Well, now that we have that firmly established...and if you don't think it would be inappropriate...I was hoping I could convince you to go somewhere with me." Her voice was very shaky. He was still holding her and could feel that her voice was not the only thing effected by the sudden increase in nervousness. She was also barely breathing.  
  
"Where?" he asked, completely puzzled. She broke her eye contact with him and looked just over his right shoulder. Pulling an arm free she pointed across the room at the door that did not lead to the corridor. He suddenly felt just as nervous, and at a momentary loss for words.  
  
She was looking expectantly at him and he decided that if he did not speak soon, a very important moment would again slip through his fingers. But he had to make sure that he was not walking into another misunderstanding.  
  
"Since our history has show me that assumptions can prove to be wrong on both our parts, I wish to be certain I understand your meaning. You wish to go to my bedroom and....look around?"  
  
She started to laugh. It was just a chuckle at first, but grew into a full- fledged guffaw. She looked up at the ceiling at tried to regain some of her composure.  
  
"I should have learned by now that subtly is lost on you, Sunshine. No. I don't want to look around in there. Well, maybe for a minute...but- no, I want to.." she stopped here, closed her eyes and tried again. "You told me once that you were capable of...intimate contact. True?" His eyes were slowly growing wider.  
  
"Yes. I am fully functional," he answered, stammering a bit himself. Now her eyes went wide.  
  
"Intriguing way to put it. Well, I want you to prove it to me."  
  
He looked slightly offended. "You doubt me?" he asked, stunned.  
  
She sighed and shook her head. "Captain, are you going to show me to your bedroom or am I going to have to go home and sleep...alone?" she asked with a challenge in her voice. This was not a difficult choice.  
  
"My bedroom is this way," he said, quickly pointing over his shoulder.  
  
He led the way, holding her hand and the closer they got to that door, the wider the grins on both of their faces became.  
  
The door closed behind them and in the hours that followed, the captain of the Repulse proved to the captain's woman just how fully functional he was....repeatedly. 


End file.
